Lee doubtful starter for third Test by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Player:	B Lee
Event:	Australia in British Isles 2009

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DateLine: 21st July 2009

 

Australia will assess pacer Brett Lee's fitness over the coming days amidst doubt that he will be available for the third Test.

 

Lee, missed the first two Tests owing to side injury and would be key to Australia's plans considering they already trail 1-0 in the series.

 

The judgement of whether or not he can be thrusted into the tour match against Northamptonshire, starting on Friday, would come in the next 48 hours.

 

Though their attack has till now lacked a pace spearhead, still the Aussies are erring on the side of caution ahead of next week's Edgbaston Test.

 

"We will see how we go," said coach Tim Nielsen. "We are progressing him. The positive thing is that in a tour game we do have the flexibility on how much we can bowl him or how much we don't bowl him.

 

"He hasn't bowled yet, so we just have to sit with the medical staff over the next few days and chat about how much we need to get into him and whether it is going to progress him to the stage where he could play in the third Test.

 

"My feeling is, if it is not going to mean he is available to play in the third Test match, we are going to have to be really careful about rushing him back."

 

Lee has not played for Australia at the pinnacle form of the game since the Boxing Day Test defeat to South Africa over the winter.

 

The fast bowler displayed what he could do with the leather in hands with six first-innings wickets against England Lions last month, but then suffered discomfort in his ribs as a by-product.

 

"The injury that he has is a bowling-specific injury and history shows if you have those injuries again it tends to be six, eight, 10 weeks before they come right, if you actually re-tear the side," Said team coach Nielsen.

 

"Two, three, four overs in the nets is probably not enough to prove that he is right to go.

 

"If he had to bowl say 11 overs in a row, like Andrew Flintoff did, to win a Test match for us, we would want to be comfortable that he is strong and fit enough and able to do it."