Lee sets sights on World Cup

Brett Lee wants to help Australia escape their Ashes misery with success in the limited-overs formats and a tilt at a fourth consecutive World Cup title. Lee is back in the national set-up for the Twenty20 internationals and hopes to be part of the 50-over squad against England and beyond.

Lee, 34, believes he still has plenty to offer Australia having retired from Test cricket last year to preserve his body for the shorter formats. However, he had to fly home from the World Twenty20 due to injury before he played a match and also missed the tours to England and India. He was overlooked for the three ODIs against Sri Lanka before the Ashes, but feels primed to lead the attack again.

"I love it when people right you off and say you won't be back," he said. "Or a doctor says you probably won't get back. Ten or twelve ops later I'm still hanging in there. If the body still feels good I'll try to keep playing. My pace is back to 150kph so I'm really happy with where it is at. I don't look at 34 and think I'm past it. I think there are a few good years ahead of me. I hope to be in the World Cup team and then let's see what happens."

Australia's experiment with split innings one-day cricket in their domestic 45-over tournament has worked to Lee's advantage because he has bowled longer spells than he would have managed in traditional 50-over games and has no regrets about ditching Tests.

"I've been bowling 12 overs each match in the 45-over competition which is more overs than I could bowl in a 50-over match," he said. "I'm really happy with the way the ball has been coming out and have enjoying it this season. It's easier on my body not bowling five days straight."

Lee tasted one Ashes-series loss during 2005, although was also part of the 5-0 whitewash four years, and admitted Australia and fallen from their lofty standards of previous years. "We now have to think as an Australian team that it's behind us," he said. "We have to leave the Ashes. England have played well and we haven't played our best cricket. But that's done and dusted now so we can move on and focus on the Twenty20 and one-day format.

"If we can win the one-day tournament then that might ease the burden of the Ashes. As I said, congratulations to England they played really well. That's finished. We have a new format coming up and it's a different squad for us as well. I'm not sure what the 50-over squad will be but I know the guys who get their opportunity will be very keen to put a few wins on the board."

In the Twenty20 internationals at Adelaide and Melbourne there is the enticing prospect of Lee joining forces with Shaun Tait in a high velocity opening attack. "To have us at both ends might stir a few batsmen up," Lee said. After facing some insipid bowling during the final two Tests, England may just find life a little tougher.