Tearaway pacer Brett Lee returned to the Australian cricket team for the upcoming Twenty20 World Championship and the following tour of India.
MELBOURNE: Tearaway pacer Brett Lee on Friday returned to the Australian cricket team for the upcoming Twenty20 World Championship and the following tour of India after being on the sidelines for more than five months due to an ankle injury.
Australian selectors have announced a 15-member squad for the Twenty20 World Cup, of which Brad Haddin has been left out in the 14 man side for the tour of India to play one-dayers.
The Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa is scheduled from September 11 to 25 and the ODI series against India starts immediately after it from September 29 in Bangalore.
The addition of Lee, in place of retired veteran Glenn McGrath, is the only change that selectors have made to the Ricky Ponting-led side, which won the World Cup in West Indies.
Lee has completely recovered from the ankle injury which forced him out of the World Cup.
"It's fantastic to have Brett Lee back, fully fit and resuming his spot in the Australian side. He's back to training and raring to go," Chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said in a statement.
Hilditch said the selectors decided to stick to the tried and tested combination as it was better suited to adapt to the conditions both in South Africa and India.
"We looked at the performances of some of the top domestic Twenty20 players, but ultimately we felt that the World Cup winning side would adapt well and deserved the opportunity to prove that they can perform to the highest standards in both shorter forms of the game," he said.
"The reality is that Australia has not played a lot of international Twenty20 cricket, but we see no reason to doubt that. Being an Australian side they will be able to adapt quickly," Hilditch said.
The Australia A squad to tour Pakistan was also announced. Adam Voges will captain the side with Cameron White as vice-captain.
Squad for Twenty20 World Championship: Ricky Ponting (c), Adam Gilchrist (vc), Nathan Bracken, Stuart Clark, Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Matthew Hayden, Brad Hodge, Brad Hogg, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Andrew Symonds, Shaun Tait , Shane Watson.
Squad for the Tour of India: Ricky Ponting (c), Adam Gilchrist (vc), Nathan Bracken, Stuart Clark, Michael Clarke, Matthew Hayden, Brad Hodge, Brad Hogg, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Andrew Symonds, Shaun Tait , Shane Watson.
Australia A Squiad for tour of Pakistan: Adam Voges (c), Cameron White (vc), Cullen Bailey, Doug Bollinger, Dan Cullen, Ben Hilfenhaus, James Hopes, David Hussey, Phil Jaques, Andrew McDonald, Stuart MacGill, Ashley Noffke, Chris Rogers, Luke Ronchi.
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