Has the time come to replace Brett Lee? He got two wickets in this match. He didn't impress in the Ashes 2005. England are too use to him and don't seem have much trouble isn't time for Mitchel Johnson?

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"Checkout the big brain on Brett" Pulp Fiction

He should never have been recalled last time around! Nice chap... great no 8/9 bat... shame about the bowling.

In fairness... the competition in 2005 wasn't exactly stunning... but this time around everyone from old hand Gillespie to newbie Johnson looks a better bet... and having now been eclipsed by Clark (who bowled far more hostile short balls than Lee at the Gabba)... Lee's got to be the one to go when the Aussies bring in MacGill.

He had a preety decent run last season...

http://statserver.cricket.org/guru?sdb=player;playerid=5966;class=testplayer;fil ter=basic;team=0;opposition=0;notopposition=0;seas on=2005%2F06;homeaway=0;continent=0;country=0;notc ountry=0;groundid=0;startdefault=1999-12-26;start=1999-12-26;enddefault=2006-11-27;end=2006-11-27;tourneyid=0;finals=0;daynight=0;toss=0;schedule dovers=0;scheduleddays=0;innings=0;result=0;follow on=0;seriesresult=0;captain=0;keeper=0;dnp=0;recen t=;viewtype=aro_list;runslow=;runshigh=;batpositio n=0;dismissal=0;bowposition=0;ballslow=;ballshigh= ;bpof=0;overslow=;overshigh=;conclow=;conchigh=;wi cketslow=;wicketshigh=;dismissalslow=;dismissalshi gh=;caughtlow=;caughthigh=;caughttype=0;stumpedlow =;stumpedhigh=;csearch=;submit=1;.cgifields=viewty pe
How about we give him a few bad matches before we drop him.

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It's hard enough to remember my opinions, without remembering my reasons for them!
Nietzsche

Cosider Brett Lee vs. Stuart Clark in the two series in which they both played...Clark eclipsed Lee in SA on all counts: overs, wickets, average, economy and strike rate... and when you look closely... Lee was very ordinary against top order batsmen.That's a massive difference: 14 Clark wickets were top 6 batsmen or the 'keeper... Lee managed just 7. Without the tail-enders to rescue his figures... Lee would not look so great.

If you look at the one match in which they both played in Bangladesh... you get the same impression of Clark eclipsing Lee:The stats aren't enough to make a critical decision... but I'm massively impressed with Clark and I just don't see anything in Lee's bowling that comes close: Clark should now be undroppable... and possibly even a World-XI contender.... and as and when the time comes to play Watson and MacGill I don't see any alternative to dropping Lee.

I am not a huge fan of Lee but you couldn't drop him for a spinner as you need variety in your pace attack and he is the express pace.If he was to be dropped for Tait or Johnson i could understand that but not for a 2nd spinner.

Tait and Jhonson have been brought back

http://content-pak.cricinfo.com/ausv...ry/270137.html

Im thinking Tait will play in Mcgraths place... still uncertain as to his heel!!

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If you drop Lee who else would you bring in? MaGill, Tait and Johnson are the likely contenders, but lets just think how they could improve the side by replacing Lee. I don't think any of them can give more to the team than Lee does.

Lee is vital to the team in terms of batting, he is a solid batsmen at 8. Especially with Gillespie out of the side, Australia's tail is not as solid as it used to be and it needs Lee to be in there to make up for Gillespies' absence. MaGill, Tait and Johnsons' batting ability is weak, and all three of them are number 10 batsmen at best.

Tait and Johnson bowling abilitys are still to raw to be in the Australian team, I still think they need time to learn their trade in domestic cricket. If you are saying Lee's bowling lacks control and he is expensive, do you really think Tait and Johnson would be any better? Lee is a experinaces bowler with 200+ victims, he is more likely to trouble the English batsmen than Tait and Johnson.

MaGill, however is more likely to take wickets than Lee is, but that still doesn't mean he has to be in the team ahead of Lee. Bowling attacks need variety. Australia can't just go into a match with a four man attack consisting of 2 very similar medium-fast bowlers (Clarke and MacGrath) and 2 very similar leg spinners (MacGill and Warne). They Lee in there to add variety.

To drop Lee would be foolish. Yes he is expensive, and goes over 4 an over but when you have an attack which consists of MacGrath, Clarke and Warne who have economy rates less than 2, then it doesn't really make much of a differance.

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CC

Nice try pom's

you drop Flintoff and I might consider dropping Lee, or how about you drop Bell & Strauss and I consider dropping Hussey ?

May I ask what your point is. I hope that you are not insulting Flintoff by comparing him to Lee. I think that Lee's performance was equally as pathetic as Harmison but the difference here is that Lee is on form while Harmison is not. I must admit that I have never rated Lee very highly. Lee being a strike bowler is IMO rubbish. Lets look at his career. He has played 55 matches and has only taken 7 five wicket hauls, while a "real" fast strike bowler like Akhtar has 12 in 42 games. Lee is overated and I would drop him for a guy like Johnson. Johnson is a left hander, and if you want variation, there it is.

Lee does not even clean up the tail. He is useless.

Can't say I agree here GF - Lee is one of those bowlers that can easily be underestimated, when a delivery is coming at you at 95MPH, even if off line, not a lot of time to react.

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Ern