Counties court Lee for pre-Ashes stint

Brett Lee may currently be surplus to Australia's requirements, but he remains a massive drawcard nonetheless, not least in county cricket, where he has been inundated with offers to play in the forthcoming season. According to his manager, Neil Maxwell, Lee has been approached by Worcestershire, Surrey, Leicestershire and Middlesex, although any decision would have to be made with the blessing of Cricket Australia.

Lee, who has been a big hit in one-day cricket this season, cannot at present force his way past Mike Kasprowicz in the Test side. Because of his lack of match practice, Cricket Australia this week considered agreeing to a bold request from New South Wales, who floated the possibility of Lee flying out from Wellington to Brisbane to play in the Pura Cup final. That idea was eventually shelved, but with an Ashes summer approaching, the opportunity for regular four-day cricket is tempting.

In principle, however, Cricket Australia are reluctant to release their Test players for county cricket this summer, as they wish to keep them fresh for the Ashes. "We would listen to them [CA] very closely, they're the ones who have to plan for Brett in the future, so it would be a joint decision," Maxwell told AFP. "From our perspective it won't be straight after the New Zealand tour because Brett's got some holidays booked, but there may be some merit to play in some county games before the tour starts."