Lee rested for South Africa tie

Continuing with their controversial rotation policy, Australia are resting Brett Lee from the match against South Africa at the Telstra Dome in Melbourne on Friday.

Ricky Ponting said that Lee's break was well earned and that the timing was right with the finals beginning on February 10. "He's been up for a long time and doing what he does he probably has more stress and physical burn-out than anybody else in the side, so we felt now was an ideal time to give him a rest," Ponting said.

"You'd like to have Brett in your side all the time, but we've got to try to manage the side as well as we can and manage him as well as we can. He's been a great weapon for us in both forms of the game over the last 12 months and we've just got to be a little bit careful with him."

Mickey Arthur, the South Africa coach, said that Lee's rest was good news for South Africa. "I suppose it does release the shackles," he said. "I think there might be one or two happier batters out there when I tell them the news."

Brad Hodge has made way for Ponting, who has returned to lead the team after a two-match rest. Brett Dorey, who was thrashed by Sanath Jayasuriya at the SCG, has replaced Lee and will play his third one-day international while Stuart Clark retains his spot after taking two wickets against Sri Lanka in Perth. However, there is no place for Nathan Bracken, the left-arm bowler who missed the Perth match for personal reasons. James Hopes has stepped in as Supersub.

The practice of resting players during the one-day touranment has been criticised by several former Australian players. Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist and Ponting have already taken mid-series breaks this summer.

"There is no doubt the rest helped me immensely, as it has done in the previous four years," Gilchrist said after the Perth game on Sunday. "People are questioning a couple of guys having a rest. We have been doing this for a long time now."

Australia 1 Adam Gilchrist (wk), 2 Simon Katich, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Damien Martyn, 5 Andrew Symonds, 6 Michael Clarke, 7 Michael Hussey, 8 Brad Hogg, 9 Brett Dorey, 10 Stuart Clark, 11 Glenn McGrath, Supersub James Hopes.