Brett Lee's recent surge appears to have been stopped in its tracks by a chest infection, with the speedster set to miss Australia's first two games of the tri-nations one-day series.
Lee was ruled out of Tuesday night's Twenty20 match against England in Sydney after falling ill on Monday night. By yesterday afternoon, his condition had worsened to such an extent that he was unable to join the rest of Australia's one-day squad in flying to Melbourne ahead of tomorrow's tri-series opener against England at the MCG.
Lee instead was told to stay in Sydney to continue treatment after consulting a medical specialist. He is regarded as certain to miss tomorrow's match, and is likely to also be rested from Australia's second game, against New Zealand in Hobart on Sunday.
A Cricket Australia spokesman said team management was "hopeful" Lee could at least gain a clearance to join the rest of the squad in Melbourne today. The 30-year-old improved after a flat start to the Ashes series to take 12 wickets in the last two Tests, but has since become the most badly affected victim of a bug that has hit several members of the Australian squad and support staff.
Rising Tasmanian paceman Ben Hilfenhaus has been added to the squad as extra bowling cover and will fly to Melbourne this morning, having played for Tasmania in their Twenty20 match against NSW at Telstra Stadium last night.
Despite his fine performance in taking two wickets in his senior Australian debut in Tuesday night's Twenty20 win over England, Hilfenhaus is unlikely to start in Melbourne, with Australia boasting other pace options in Glenn McGrath, Stuart Clark, Nathan Bracken and Mitchell Johnson.
Johnson is expected to be fit for selection despite a minor stomach muscle strain which ruled him out of the Twenty20 international.
Meanwhile, Michael Vaughan says England are facing a sizeable challenge to get in the right mental state for the one-day series opener, after their 5-0 Ashes humiliation and emphatic Twenty20 defeat.
Vaughan at least was pleased with his own batting form and his physical state, after making 27 on Tuesday night in his first match for several months following knee surgery. But the newly reinstated England captain conceded his side needed to lift mentally to have a chance tomorrow.
"That's our biggest challenge over the next couple of days - to make sure we get them in a good mental state for Friday's game," Vaughan said. "We realise it's going to be tough but when tough times come about you need tough people, and that's what we need from all the players.
"I'm really impressed with their work ethic. That's going to hold them in good stead."
- TREVOR MARSHALLSEA