http://www.cricketnext.com/news/lee-.../26470-13.html

Lee back at bowling full tilt

Sydney: Australian pace spearhead Brett Lee says he is back to bowling at top speed ahead of next month's Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa.

Lee, 30, had major surgery on torn ligaments in his left ankle four months ago after missing Australia's World Cup triumph in the Caribbean.

His recovery has been restrained but Lee was encouraged by bowling at full stretch in a net session at the Sydney Cricket Ground last week.

"I'm fit and refreshed and felt I could have gone flat-out a month ago, but I've had to be patient," Lee told The Sunday Telegraph.

"Now I'm back running flat-out and felt like I was bowling at full pace again.

"As each session has gone on I've got quicker and quicker. I'm back to bowling where I finished up before the injury.

"But I don't want to be like I was six months ago, I want to keep improving and become a better player," said Lee.

Lee said he was keen to lead Australia's attack at the Twenty20 tournament in the wake of Glenn McGrath's retirement from international cricket.

Australia's bowling coach Troy Cooley said Lee would be up to the task, declaring he would be the bowler that batsmen feared in the big-hitting tournament.

"He's been training the house down and he looks good," Cooley told the newspaper.

"He slotted straight back into that classical action, he had a beautiful seam position and was swinging the ball away nicely," said Cooley.

Lee has only been training in up to six-over blocks and said the Twenty20 championship offered him the perfect platform for his international return.

"It's something I've been looking forward to for a long time now, and I've been given the opportunity with Glenn leaving the scene and retiring from Test match cricket," he said.

"We're not going into this competition as favourites - England and South Africa would definitely be favourites as far as Twenty20 cricket is concerned."

Lee has only played in three Twenty-20 matches taking one wicket for a total of 72 runs.