Injury puts Brett Lee out of India tour

Lee, 24, who has been troubled by back problems in recent months, injured the medial ligament and flexor tendon of his elbow while throwing the ball from the outfield in a limited overs international against Zimbabwe on Sunday in Perth, the ACB said in a statement.

Lee had a scan on the elbow in Perth on Sunday night before flying to Melbourne to have the injury evaluated further.

“This is bitterly disappointing especially as I’ve only just come back from the back injury that kept me out of three Tests (against West Indies),” Lee said in a statement.

“Ironically, my back’s fine.

“It’s obviously a setback but I will be trying to remain as positive as possible and I’ll be looking forward to the series that follow the tour of India.

“I’m already targeting the tour of the UK for my comeback.”

Australia return from India in early April and depart for afive-test tour of England in late May.

Lee, carrying the elbow injury, returned the poor figures of one for 72 off eight overs in Australia’s one-run win over Zimbabwe on Sunday.

On January 26 he bowled at speeds approaching 150 kph (93mph) in a match against West Indies in Adelaide, taking four for 33 and saying he was regaining some rhythm after more than a month out of the game.

“The pace is definitely back,” Lee said at the time.

His absence leaves main strike bowler Glenn McGrath now relying on another injury-plagued quick, Jason Gillespie, to be his new-ball partner in India, while swing bowler Damien Fleming also stands a better chance of going to India now with Lee unavailable.

MACGILL MAY MISS OUT: Meanwhile, Australia is likely to have only two spinners — Shane Warne and Colin Miller — in the squad that will leave for India.

Chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said Australia would probably take a 14-man squad, which would mean leg-spinner Stuart MacGill misses out.

“If we can it will be 14, but we have the option of 15,” Hohns said.

“I guess it’s a matter of whether we take an extra bowler but we’ll confer with the captain and coach.”

MacGill has taken 75 wickets in 16 Tests, including 16 in four matches during Australia’s recent 5-0 whitewash of the West Indies while Warne was recovering from a broken finger.

Australia, unofficial World Test champions, have won their past 15 Tests in a row.

Australia test ice vests to beat the heat

PERTH: Australia’s cricketers are testing ice vests as a way of beating the heat on their three-test tour of India starting later this month.

Australia are due to name their squad this week and will fly to India on February 13. The first Test starts February 27.

Australian players wore ice vests over their shirts during a drinks break in their limited overs international match against Zimbabwe in Perth on Sunday in temperatures around 35 degrees C.

The vests for the Indian tour will be designed to match the Australian kit so they can be worn on the field.

In the Madras tied Test of 1986, Australian Dean Jones was at the crease for eight hours in a knock of 210. He lost four kgs and needed three bottles of saline in hospital after pushing himself to a near life-threatening level.

Australian captain Steve Waugh said the vests would also be used if the side encountered any hot days during this week’s limited overs finals series against West Indies, which starts in Sydney on Wednesday.

“We’ll take them over there (to India) and see if they work,” Waugh told reporters.

“We’ve got two lead-up matches and if they make the guys cool down and feel better about themselves we’ll probably use them.”

Fast bowler Glenn McGrath said Waugh’s intention to steamroller the Indians with pace meant his new-ball colleagues would have a heavy work rate during the Tests and One-Dayers.

“India has a humid heat and the vests will really help if you can wear them for an over or two to cool down,” McGrath told reporters.

McGrath may have to work even harder with the news that Brett Lee will miss the Indian tour because of an elbow injury.