BRETT LEE must inflict some serious physical and psychological damage against New Zealand over the next few days to have any hope of playing in the first Test, beginning in Brisbane next Thursday.
Named in the Australian 12 yesterday as one of four fast bowlers, Lee will need to be brutal as well as prolific when opening the bowling for NSW in a four-day tour match at the SCG, beginning today, to avoid the drinks-waiter role he performed in India.
Australia's fastest bowler holds out hope that the selectors will take in four pacemen on a Gabba pitch likely to be spiced up by the recent deluge which has swamped south-east Queensland.
Certainly, the four-man panel of chairman Trevor Hohns, Allan Border, David Boon and Andrew Hilditch has mused over the possibility of launching an all-out pace assault against the Kiwis, who have just come from a month of slow, low pitches in Bangladesh.
However, with Shane Warne passed fit to play, the traditional combination of three fast bowlers and a spinner is an unbackable favourite.
This means Lee will need to force Michael Kasprowicz out of the side on his home ground.
Kasprowicz, 32, has not played a Test in Australia for five years and in Brisbane for six, but has been outstanding since winning back his place for the tour of Sri Lanka this year.
He took 14 wickets in Sri Lanka, the best series by any Australian paceman during a tour to that country, and now has 29 from nine Tests at 26 since his latest reincarnation.
Kasprowicz was only assured of a Test in Sri Lanka because Lee broke down with recurring ankle problems which required surgery but has bowled so well since that Lee has been unable to force his way back.
It is almost a year since Lee has played a Test, against India in Sydney.
After a brilliant start to his Test career, claiming 42 wickets in his first seven Tests at 16 apiece, Lee has struggled for consistency following an elbow operation in 2001.
Since then, he has taken 97 wickets in 30 Tests at 38.42 for an overall record of 139 wickets at 31.
Lee claims that ankle problems have plagued him during his career but his latest bout of surgery in March has cleared that up.
"It's going to be great fun not carrying the drinks for a change," Lee said at NSW training yesterday.
As a non-playing member of the squad in India, he spent much of his time training in the gym or the nets.
"I'm feeling the fittest I've ever felt," Lee said. "The body's feeling 100 per cent. I haven't felt that for seven years. My ankle's the best it's ever felt.
"As for pace, it's going to be hard to judge because I've only been bowling on those low, slow things in India but as a feel thing, it feels really good."
The SCG pitch is likely to be relatively low and slow but Lee was unfazed.
"It's going to be a lot quicker than the practice wickets I've been bowling on in Mumbai," he said. "This is going to feel like the WACA to me."
New Zealand had another setback yesterday when vice-captain Daniel Vettori was forced to pull out of the tour match because of an inflamed bowling shoulder.
A day after captain Stephen Fleming was forced to delay his flight to Australia because of a malaria scare, left-arm spinner Vettori was feeling the workload of a heavy tour of Bangladesh.
Vettori is expected to be fit for the Test and Fleming is still scheduled to arrive tomorrow, although he continues to struggle with fatigue.
All-rounder Scott Styris will captain New Zealand in the tour match while Brad Haddin will lead NSW in the absence of Simon Katich, who is suffering gastric problems following the tour of India.
New Zealand yesterday flew in Craig McMillan as cover.
- MALCOLM CONN