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Lee Cleared for Champions
Trophy August
03, 2004:
AUSTRALIA will take a full-strength squad to next month's
mini-World Cup one-day tournament in England after pace
bowler Brett Lee was passed fit to return to international
cricket.
Lee, who has not played since March when he was forced
out of the tour to Sri Lanka and underwent ankle surgery,
yesterday was named in a 14-man squad for the two-week
tournament. Lee's return underscores Cricket Australia's
desire to secure the biennial ICC Champions Trophy, which
features all Test-playing nations. It remains the one major
limited-overs prize to have eluded the world champions. The
27-year-old claims to be pain free in his left ankle for the
first time in a decade and has been working closely with
former Test fast bowler Dennis Lillee in recent months.
"We have been monitoring Brett's progress since March and
... we are confident that he is back to full strength,"
chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said yesterday. "He is a
quality bowler who will give the pace attack some real depth
and variety for this very important tournament." Lee's
inclusion -- at the expense of fellow quick Brad Williams
who is recovering from a back injury -- is the only change
to the squad that toured Zimbabwe in May.
The Australians will prepare for the Champions Trophy with a
short warm-up tournament against India and Pakistan in The
Netherlands this month. But they will do so without
vice-captain Adam Gilchrist who will remain in Perth with
wife Mel who is expecting the couple's second baby.
Gilchrist will join the touring party in England early next
month. He will be replaced by NSW keeper Brad Haddin for the
Holland tournament, where Darren Lehmann will assume the
role of vice-captain.
Australia squad:
Ricky Ponting (c), Adam Gilchrist (v-c), Michael Clarke,
Jason Gillespie, Ian Harvey, Matthew Hayden, Brad Hogg,
Michael Kasprowicz, Brett Lee, Darren Lehmann, Damien Martyn,
Glenn McGrath, Andrew Symonds, Shane Watson. (Brad Haddin to
stand in for Gilchrist in Holland tournament) |
