The West Indies have one less threat to worry about in the forthcoming Test series against Australia after fast bowler Brett Lee reactivated an elbow injury in an inter-state match for New South Wales against Tasmania on Sunday that would sideline him for at least six weeks.
The setback, caused by a bone spur in the elbow and almost certain to require corrective surgery, immediately raised speculation that it would end the 33-year-old’s Test career and, like England’s Andrew Flintoff, confine him to the shorter forms of the game in future.
At his peak, Lee was consistently the fastest bowler in international cricket. He is Australia’s fourth highest wicket-taker in Tests with 310 in 76 matches since his debut in 2000. Shane Warne (708), Glenn McGrath (563) and Dennis Lillee (355) are the only ones ahead of him.
His 64 wickets at an average of 23 in 12 Tests against the West Indies are more than against other opponents and, although several younger fast bowlers have emerged, notably ICC’s 2008 Cricketer of the Year, left-armer Mitchell Johnson, Australia will miss Lee’s pace and experience.
He has been troubled by injuries throughout his career and has not played a Test since limping off the Melbourne Cricket Ground with knee and ankle issues last December.
He missed Australia’s two most recent Test series, in South Africa and England, but did play in the World Twenty20 tournament in England in June and in the one-day series against England and the Champions Trophy in South Africa in September.
The elbow problem flared up in the one-day series in India last month and he was sent home after one match. He was playing on Sunday for the first time since then when it recurred.
Lee’s agent, Neil Maxwell, denied Lee would announce his retirement from Tests at a media conference scheduled for today but acknowledged he might have to consider it in the next few weeks.
“Is Brett prepared to continue to fight for his Test spot? That is the thing he really needs to think about,” Maxwell said.
“He is getting a bit more advice on the elbow and finding out about what that means, but needs to think about the bigger picture,” he added. “It’s a six-to-10-week issue at this point but we need to think through the ramifications of that. He doesn’t need to make a snap decision.” (TC)