SYDNEY, Dec 22: It seems all the retirement talk about Glenn McGrath - lumped in with Shane Warne's surprise announcement - was a bit premature. Australian fast bowler McGrath said on Friday he hasn't ruled out extending his Test career beyond the Ashes series and says he won't necessarily follow Warne into retirement. England and Australia begin play on Tuesday in the fourth Test, with the fifth scheduled to begin on January 2 in Sydney.

McGrath said he still had plenty of cricket left in him and he was annoyed that everyone was assuming next month's Test in Sydney would be his last. "All I did was finish (the third Test) in Perth, come home and I've done nothing since and I've had journalists camped on the front door and hassling me at home and everything," McGrath said."For me, it's just another day at the office."

The 36-year-old McGrath said he was looking forward to the domestic One-Day series and the World Cup in the West Indies in March before making any decisions about his long-term playing future.

Despite conjecture in various newspapers, McGrath says retirement wasn't even discussed. "I haven't said anything," McGrath said.

"It's funny how Warney decides that and ... whether it's in his wake and I'm being pulled along as well or whether the media think it's time for me to go, I don't know."

Since debuting against New Zealand in 1993, McGrath has taken 555 wickets at an average of 21.65 in 122 Tests.—Agencies