"13", "name" => "Cricket", "category" => "Australia Cricket", "path" => "/var/www/vhosts/betting.betfair.com/httpdocs/cricket/", "url" => "https://betting.betfair.com/cricket/", "title" => "Lee gives Aussies WC concern : Australia Cricket : Cricket", "desc" => "The Australian camp has been dealt a major blow ahead of the fast-approaching World Cup with the news that pace bowler Brett Lee is a major doubt after sustaining a training-ground injury. The 30-year-old was involved in a training exercise...", "keywords" => "", "robots" => "index,follow" ); $category_sid = "sid=4610"; ?>

Lee gives Aussies WC concern

Australia Cricket RSS / / 16 February 2007 /

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The Australian camp has been dealt a major blow ahead of the fast-approaching World Cup with the news that pace bowler Brett Lee is a major doubt after sustaining a training-ground injury.

The 30-year-old was involved in a training exercise at Wellington's Basin Reserve when he got his studs locked in the turf as he slipped when fielding the ball.

Scans have since revealed there is no fracture but he is to undergo further tests to see if he has sustained any significant ligament damage.

Betfair punters will be well aware of the importance of Lee to the Aussie attack, especially as there is still a question mark over the fitness of Glenn McGrath. The potential absence of their main strike bowler for the World Cup could have a significant bearing in both the win and Top Wicket Taker markets.

Lee is currently available at 4.4 to finish with the most wickets in the World Cup in a market that is jointly headed by his team-mate McGrath and South Africa's Makhaya Ntini at 3.2.

Meanwhile he is an almost certain absentee for the opening match of the one-day Chappell-Hadlee series against New Zealand which gets underway on Friday.

Despite Lee's absence, and their recent poor one-day form at the end of the CB triangular series as they lost 2-0 in the three-match final with England, the Aussies still remain the 1.78 favourites to win the Chappell-Hadlee series opener with New Zealand trading at 2.26.

Mitchell Johnson is the player likely to be called up for the opening game with Shaun Tait, Stuart Clark or Ben Hilfenhaus looking likely to be added to the squad as cover.

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