LONDON, Oct 21: England reject Darren Gough on Tuesday shrugged off any talk of retirement and set his sights on playing in the next World Cup in the Caribbean in 2007 even though he will be 36 by the time the tournament comes around.

The 32-year-old paceman, still seething after being overlooked for the tours of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, believes he will still have a role to play in four years’ time.

“If you were to ask me now which of the current players will be at the next World Cup I would say not half of them,” said the Yorkshire quick bowler who has already announced his retirement from Test cricket in order to prolong his one-day shelf life.

“You’ll get players who are not cutting it at this level and at some point the selectors have to ask themselves: ‘Are they good enough or not?’,” Gough told the BBC sports website.

“There are only three one-dayers in Bangladesh and three one-dayers in Sri Lanka.

“To be honest, Bangladesh shouldn’t even be a Test side and in Sri Lanka it’s a chance for some of the younger guys to have a go. If it was a World Cup I would be in the side now.”

Gough is still hopeful of playing some role in the England one-day team on the tour to the West Indies at the start of 2004.

However, if he doesn’t make it, he is determined to keep knocking on the selectors’ door.

“My next real target is the ICC Champions Trophy in England next September,” said Gough. “Then I’ve got two more years to build to the next World Cup.”

Injury-plagued Gough made a successful comeback from long-term knee injury last summer and played a key role in one-dayers against Pakistan, South Africa and Zimbabwe.—AFP