Ricky Ponting conceded yesterday he might be forced to stop using Brett Lee as his preferred "death overs" bowler in limited-overs matches after the speedster became embroiled in yet another beamer furore.
In recent years, Lee has regularly proved Australia's trump card at the end of a limited-overs match because of his ability to bowl fast, inswinging yorkers which are virtually impossible to score off.
But in the wake of last week's drama in which he let slip a chest-high full toss at New Zealand batsman Brendon McCullum in Wellington, Ponting said he may need to re-assess how he uses his spearhead in dewy conditions.
The fact all five of the potentially dangerous full tosses Lee has bowled over the past year have come at night indicates he has the problem when the white ball becomes slippery through evening dampness.
When asked if there was a technical problem with Lee's bowling action that made him more likely to deliver beamers, Ponting claimed that was something the Australia brains trust needed to examine.
"It's been in New Zealand most of the time and it's been when we've been bowling second at night," Ponting said.
"The first couple of times, he had a lot of problems with his footing and even the other night when (New Zealand captain) Daniel Vettori came out to bat I asked him (Lee) to bowl around the wicket and he said, 'No, I can't, I'll just slip through the front crease'.
"It's difficult for him. It might be something I have to look at, not even bowling him at the end in those sort of conditions."
Lee yesterday reiterated his deep regret for the latest indiscretion, which came as Australia battled to defend a huge total and led to the 29-year-old losing his focus in his final over, from which he conceded 18 runs.
By the end of his 10-over spell in last Wednesday's match, Lee had conceded 85 runs after his 3-5 from six overs four days earlier in Auckland.
Lee, who returned to Australia immediately after that match to undergo minor surgery in which tissue was removed from his left nasal passage, spoke yesterday of how the incident affected him.
"It's hard going for runs, and with that full toss I bowled at McCullum it's not something that I'm proud of," Lee said.
"It always seems to happen when we bowl second with the dewy conditions and the ball was very slippery.
"Not making any excuses, but it's something that's pretty hard to do when you are bowling at 156km/h.
"If you slightly get it wrong or you slip ... I was sliding up to 40 centimetres (in delivery stride).
"I've said previously when it happened it's a bit like a javelin thrower, running in with sandshoes on and trying to throw a javelin on a wet surface.
"You would probably laugh and say it's not possible. It's the same as a quick bowler.
"I just hope it doesn't happen again."
McCullum, who has been on the receiving end of the past three chest-high full tosses Lee has bowled, claimed last weekend he fully accepted Lee's explanation that they were accidental and not malicious.
McCullum added that the pair had spoken in the wake of Wednesday's incident and remained good friends.
Ponting said he hoped the furore would not affect Lee as he prepared for the first Test against South Africa starting on Friday at Perth's WACA Ground, traditionally tailor-made for hostile fast bowlers.
But Ponting confirmed he would seek out his fast bowler, who claimed to be fully recovered from last weekend's surgery, for a chat to ensure he had put the incident behind him.
"It really does affect him and you could see that by the ball he bowled next delivery (after the beamer) how much it affects him," Ponting said.
"He ran in and bowled a bouncer that went over the batsman's head by a metre and a half.
"That goes to show how much he has been thinking about it."
Lee also declined to enlist in the war of words that both teams have waged leading into the Test, simply stating he wants to be judged on the results of his bowling.
Lee's new-ball partner Glenn McGrath will not arrive in Perth until today after he had been laid low by flu this week.
And Ponting confirmed that left-arm seamer Nathan Bracken remains favourite to win the third pace bowler's berth from uncapped New South Wales player Stuart Clark, although he was upbeat about Clark's performances in New Zealand.
"He bowled very well in the last one-day game in New Zealand," Ponting said.
"He bowled a bit quicker than I had seen him bowl for a while, and got surprising bounce on that wicket.
"They are both a good chance (but) Bracken has probably got his nose slightly ahead at the moment after his Test in Brisbane earlier in the season.
"These conditions here will be fairly similar to Brisbane. It will swing a little bit."
- ANDREW RAMSEY