Lee vows to exploit England's lost X-factor

Published on Tuesday 8 September 2009 23:06

BRETT Lee has put his Ashes frustration behind him and is intent on inflicting further misery on an England team which he believes has lost its X-factor.

Lee, 32, missed the entire five-match Test series, which denied him the chance to renew his rivalry with Andrew Flintoff. Now Flintoff is going through his own period of rehabilitation and without him England are 2-0 down in the NatWest Series ahead of today's day-nighter at the Rose Bowl.

Andrew Strauss spoke about Australia's lost 'aura' during the Ashes and Lee yesterday returned to the theme.

"England have some other great bowlers but what Andrew brings to the game is that X-factor," Lee said. "You look at the great players around the world, not only in cricket, but at Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and David Beckham, they have all got that aura.

"I know we have heard a lot about aura recently but Andrew Flintoff has definitely got that. He brings that to the game and quite possibly when he is not around that aura that he would bring to the team is not there."

Lee's hopes of featuring in the 2009 Ashes, after battling back from ankle surgery, were dashed when he tweaked a rib muscle on the eve of the series. Although he declared himself fit for the final two Tests, he was overlooked. "I can only say I know what I'm like and I know I was 100 per cent but people said otherwise," Lee reflected. "It's behind me now. I don't have any ill feeling about it. It's unfortunate I didn't play an Ashes Test but it's history and I look forward to the one-dayers.

"You've got to accept the card you've been dealt and find a way that you as a person and a player can still give your best for the team. Even though you're not in the XI, you've still got to help the others in the side that are doing the business. I would have loved to play the fourth and fifth Test match but that wasn't the case. I've dealt with it now. It's behind me. I've got a wonderful opportunity to play the next five one-dayers for Australia."

For England, today's contest is arguably their second must-win match against Australia within a month. Having triumphed in the final Test at the Oval to claim the Ashes, Strauss' team now need to beat the Australians in the day-nighter to avoid going 3-0 down in the NatWest Series.

Although there would still be four matches remaining, winning from that position would be highly unlikely for a team battling fatigue after a long season.

Sussex's Luke Wright – who, along with Paul Collingwood, will jet off to India for the Champions League campaign – is fully aware of the need for success in the here and now.

"It's not the end if we don't win – we still have four more games after that," he said. "But you don't want to leave it too late and give yourself too much to do. So we desperately want to win."

England have rested Stuart Broad (neck strain), while Joe Denly remains sidelined with a knee injury. That means the most likely change to the England XI would be the recall of Adil Rashid in place of Middlesex batsman Eoin Morgan.