THE next step in Brett Lee's redevelopment as a fast bowler comes this week when he leads Australia's attack for the first time on an overseas tour.
Lee, who claimed a series high 18 wickets at 20.94 in three Tests against West Indies, will be the senior bowler in Australia's 14-man touring party which leaves for New Zealand today.
For the first time in his career, the 29-year-old will carry the tag of spearhead, given the absence of long-serving internationals Glenn McGrath (rested), Shane Warne (retired from the one-day game), Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz (both dropped).
Lee will headline an unheralded Australia attack which also includes Nathan Bracken, Stuart Clark, Michael Lewis and Cameron White.
Now that he has re-established himself in the Test arena after a 20-month hiatus, Lee has indicated he will change little in his guise as top dog during the three-match Chappell-Hadlee trophy series which begins in Auckland on Saturday.
"I'll just try and keep doing exactly the same stuff I've been doing for the past six years playing for Australia in the one-day competition," Lee said yesterday about his elevation in seniority.
"Just to try and build on what I did over in (England during) the Ashes, I felt like I was bowling well in that series and the results were starting to come, and now it's really starting to happen."
Australia captain Ricky Ponting claimed the extra responsibility could only enhance Lee's development, and his influence on the other younger and less experienced bowlers in the squad should also benefit Australian cricket.
"I think that's great for him (Lee). He's never had that tag before in any Australian team that he's played in," Ponting said yesterday.
"There's always been a (Jason) Gillespie or a (Glenn) McGrath there ahead of him.
"He's certainly getting the results now. He didn't get the results he deserved during the Ashes tour but since he's been back he's looked very, very good."
Coincidentally, it was during a five-match limited-overs series in New Zealand this year that Lee presented his most emphatic case for a recall to Test ranks, which arrived in England three months later.
He terrorised the batsmen during that tournament, sending one to hospital with concussion and equalling the fastest ball of his career, a 160.8km/h thunderbolt at Napier.
Despite being overlooked for the three Tests that followed, Lee has shone since his Test recall, at Lord's.
During that period he has collected 40 scalps from nine Tests at 32.37, with only his teammate Shane Warne (62 wickets) and England all rounder Andrew Flintoff (47) more productive.
While identifying his drought-breaking 5-30 during the second innings of the first Test against West Indies in Brisbane as a crucial confidence booster, Lee has been even more impressed with his efforts over the past fortnight.
A five-wicket haul on a batsman-friendly track at Hobart's Bellerive Oval followed by his seven wickets on an equally unforgiving Adelaide surface ended one of the key criticisms levelled at him, Lee claimed.
"I think I've been a bit criticised in the past that I haven't performed at my best on flat wickets and hopefully I'm starting to prove otherwise now," Lee said.
"I've bowled on a wicket (in Hobart) that was really flat and this was not really conducive to fast bowling so I was really pleased how the ball came out on these flat tracks."
The team will return from New Zealand for the first Test against South Africa, in Perth, from December 16.
- ANDREW RAMSEY