BRETT LEE insists he is far from washed up as he bids to lead Australia’s attack in the forthcoming Ashes series. The 32-year-old paceman is hoping to spearhead the tourists’ bowling against Andrew Strauss’ England when the series gets under way in Cardiff a week tomorrow.
Lee has bounced back after suffering from a spate of injuries, having recently undergone surgery
on foot and ankle problems. But now that Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne have retired, the Aussie selectors may chose to go with their most experienced bowler, who knows all about the pressures of playing in the Ashes.
Nathan Hauritz has been chosen as the only spinner for Ricky Ponting’s team, putting more emphasis than ever on their main strike bowler Mitchell Johnson, and Lee – if he is picked. Critics say his best years are behind him and have pointed to his form during Australia’s ill-fated World Twenty20 campaign as evidence. But Lee, with 310 wickets from 76 Tests, believes he is as deadly as ever.
‘I don’t think the make-up of a fast bowler and a sprinter is that different,’ he said. ‘Of course there will be a time when your pace drops off. ‘Yes I’m 32, but I’ve missed a fair bit of cricket through surgery and I hope the day when my pace drops off is a long way away. The work I’ve been doing is all about bowling fast with good line and length. While I can do that I will do it and I’m certainly not looking at hanging up my boots now.’ Lee claims he has England skipper Strauss in his sights ahead of the first Test next week. Lee has dismissed the Middlesex opener five times over the course of the last two Ashes series and said: ‘I’m happy with the record I have against Straussy.
‘He’s a class act and it doesn’t matter how many times you get him out, on the day all you can do
is prepare well and bowl well. He is a hard batsman to bowl to.’ Lee does admit Australia will have to handle the conditions better than they did during England’s 2005 Ashes triumph if they are to turn the tables this time around. He added: ‘We were caught out a bit in 2005 by the way the ball was swinging back in and we didn’t use that as effectively as England did.’
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