Brett Lee considers county Second XI option

Australian fast bowler Brett Lee has revealed that he may play Second XI cricket for a first-class county in an effort to attain full fitness prior to the Ashes series.

"I'm still pretty jet-lagged, but very excited," 24-year-old Lee told reporters at Lord's today, having arrived from Australia yesterday. "I'm here early for a couple of weeks working on my rehab ready for the Test matches. I'm fit, but not match fit. Come the first Test though, I will be ready to go.

"I haven't had the experience of bowling in the last three months and there's a chance that some Second XI cricket or a practice match might be on the cards," he revealed, before saying that either Yorkshire or Nottinghamshire were the likely teams that he would play for.

The promise of seeing Lee, currently rated as the fastest bowler in the world, in action this summer is a mouth-watering prospect for all followers of cricket, but certain second XI county batsmen will be anxiously checking their protective equipment as a result of the news.

Much is expected of Lee, who has been timed at 97.5 mph, but he insists he is delighted to have fulfilled a lifetimes ambition by simply being on the tour.

"I'm not setting too many big goals for myself," Lee said. "If I'm lucky enough to get the chance to play, it will be great to line up against our old enemy. It's the cream of the crop as far as cricket goes, to get the chance to play over here in front of packed crowds will be great. When you are a kid the first thing you want to do is pull on the baggy green cap and the second thing is to dream of playing in an Ashes series."