June 14  
Australian skipper defends Lee omission

MELBOURNE: Australia captain Ricky Ponting on Thursday defended his decision to drop fast bowler Brett Lee for Wednesday's One-Day International seven-wicket win over Pakistan. Only 11,000 fans turned up Wednesday and Australian Cricket Board chief executive James Sutherland admitted he was disappointed. But he said it was up to the selectors to pick the team. The match had been billed a confrontation between the world's two fastest blowers, Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar and Lee. But Lee was overlooked and Akhtar had a hip injury. Lee and Shoaib were two of the key players in a promotion where a fan could win 25,000 dollars (14,000 US) from each game if someone scored 100 in 100 balls or bowled at 100 miles per hour.

"There's a reasonable assumption he's the most likely person to do that, but ... the promotion hasn't specifically mentioned Brett," Sutherland said. "It would be rare in a series like this for all the fast bowlers to play in every game. "Perhaps he will play in the last two, I don't know." Pakistan captain Waqar Younis was hopeful Shoaib would be fit for Saturday night's second game under the Colonial Stadium roof. Ponting said Andy Bichel, who impressed with 3-30 from 10 overs Wednesday, was picked ahead of Lee because his playing stint in England gave him the edge in match fitness. "There's no saying Brett won't play the next game, he's fully fit and up for selection," Ponting added.

Ponting said form and the makeup of the side were the only factors when the team was selected. "We just picked our best side and unfortunately Brett wasn't in that," Ponting said. "But he's every chance to be in the next side. "Shoaib and Brett were marketed to promote these games. But there's another 22 pretty handy cricketers that have taken the field." The corresponding match of the first indoor cricket match at the same venue two years ago, between Australia and South Africa, attracted 25,785 fans.