Veteran leg-spinner Anil Kumble on Wednesday threw his hat in the ring, saying he is ready to take over as India's next Test captain if asked to.
The 37-year-old leg-spinner, a veteran of 118 Test and 271 one-day matches, said leading India will be an honour for him but it is up to the selectors to decide who they want for the top job.
"I would certainly do the job if asked to. I don't know what the big deal is, why so much is being made of this. I have said this before also," Kumble told cricinfo.
Since Rahul Dravid quit the job after leading India to a successful tour of England, India are without a Test captain. And with Sachin Tendulkar, the selectors' first choice for the job, pulling out of the race, one-day team skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni seems running a one-horse race.
Kumble said he has no idea if his name would be discussed at all or not but the ball is now in the selectors' court.
"I don't know whether I'm in the race, but if it's offered it would be a great honour," said Kumble, who, many felt, could have been a good captain because of his cerebral approach to the game.
"I have relished it whenever I had the opportunity. But that's not something for me to decide," he added.
Incidentally, cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has also advocated having Kumble as the captain of the Test team.
Though Dhoni seems almost certain to get the job, a number of former players, including Ravi Shastri, have warned that the youngster already has a lot on his plate and burdening him with Test captaincy might backfire.
