ADELAIDE - All the bravado of a fast bowler is there but Allan Donald can't keep down the nagging doubts about his readiness to take on Australia in the first cricket Test on Friday.

Donald, 35 and out of Test cricket for more than six months, scoffed at conjecture his big toe injury would keep him out of the opening round of the world championship show down at Adelaide Oval.

His problem, he admitted, is that his bowling hasn't been fine-tuned. In his words: "It's not all there."

Donald lost valuable preparation time because of a toe injury sustained during a four-day game against Western Australia.

He said the injury, caused by a new pair of boots, should heal in time.

"All the hype about the toe and the boot and all that is a load of rubbish to be honest," Donald said, before confessing his old boots were winging their way to Adelaide as he spoke.

"They should be here by Thursday."

What might not be here by Thursday is his sharpness with a cricket ball and his confidence.

"I'm nearly there but the confidence to go into a Test at the Adelaide Oval against the Aussies is a different thing.

"But I've always backed myself. I've backed my ability in the past and I can do that again.

"Obviously the consideration for me is that I haven't played enough cricket to justify playing in the first Test but I'm confident enough to back myself to do a job for South Africa."

Donald said a lack of bowling at the highest level made it hard to "hit the right areas" on the pitch.

"I think I'm still bowling sharpish - the ball's coming out sweetly.

"But against the Aussies you're going to have bowl quality all the time - it's just that odd ball when you give away four that breaks a good spell or a good over.

"That's the thing I've got to work on right now."

Asked if two days before the Test was enough to hone his bowling skills Donald replied: "I reckon I could do that - if they want to me play.

"I'd love to play - I'll bowl a bit in the next couple of days and see how it goes.

Donald, who joked he'd considered retirement "about 46 times" in the past six months, was grateful he still had the desire to play after a run of illness and injury.

"I'm very happy my hunger hasn't deserted me," he said.

"I think that I'm more focused and up to the challenge than I have been for a number of seasons.

"It's fair to say that I've had a bit of a shocker for the past two years - I've had illnesses and a lot of bad luck - little things that kept me out of the game."

© 2001 AAP