Share

Aussies sweat on Lee fitness

Sydney - Stand-in Australian captain Ricky Ponting says he is optimistic paceman Brett Lee will recover from a broken toe to take his place in the one-day side to face Sri Lanka on Friday.

Lee was ruled out of action for up to six weeks after fracturing the little toe of his right foot when he was struck by a ball against India in a Twenty20 clash earlier this month.

But his recovery is ahead of schedule and Ponting said he will only settle on his starting XI ahead of the toss at the Sydney Cricket Ground to give Lee as much time as possible.

"He had a run yesterday and his toe pulled up particularly well," Ponting said of Lee.

"He's got a lot of bowling to get through today and we'll see how he pulls up on Friday morning so we won't be able to finalise our team until the toss on Friday. Fingers crossed for Brett that he comes up well."

Ponting, who will lead the team against Sri Lanka with Michael Clarke ruled out due to a hamstring injury, said he had no aspirations to be skipper beyond this one match.

"I want to make it very clear this is Michael Clarke's team, that I'm just stepping up to look after for a couple of days," he told reporters.

"Everyone knows my appointment's been made for hopefully only Friday.

"Hopefully Michael comes up for Sunday's game, so really this is just about taking over Michael's team and leading the team well and hopefully getting the result the team's after."

Ponting was replaced as Australia captain last year and former Test skipper Steve Waugh has said he cannot understand why selectors chose him as stand-in for Clarke ahead of opening batsman David Warner.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1472 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2250 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE