Lee and Bracken stay in Twenty20 sights

Nathan Bracken and Brett Lee have points to prove after long lay-offs © Associated Press

Brett Lee and Nathan Bracken remain in Australia's plans despite long-term injuries after they were named in the preliminary 30-man squad for the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean. Lee retired from Teststhis week because his body can't cope with the workload, but he wants to return to national action in the limited-overs formats.

An elbow problem is Lee's current concern while Bracken is on the way back from surgery, but both have a tough task to win spots in the final 15-man squad for the tournament starting in April. Andrew Hilditch and his fellow selectors have also given hope to Brad Hodge, the 35-year-old batsman, who has not played for Australia since 2008.

There are four new players in the squad with George Bailey, the Tasmania captain, included as well as his state team-mate Xavier Doherty, the left-arm spinner. The Victoria allrounder John Hastings and Ben Cutting, the Queensland fast bowler, have also been given some encouragement after strong domestic campaigns.

"We consider the squad to contain a good blend of youth and experience with several players who have excelled in Twenty20 cricket both internationally and domestically this year," Hilditch said. "From this 30 we hope to pick a final World Twenty20 squad that if it plays to its ability will be a very exciting, entertaining and extremely competitive." Australia have been grouped with Pakistan and Bangladesh and must finish on top to avoid being knocked out in the first round for the second World Twenty20 in a row.

Australia men's squad Michael Clarke (capt), George Bailey, Travis Birt, Doug Bollinger, Nathan Bracken, Daniel Christian, Ben Cutting, Xavier Doherty, Brad Haddin (wk), Ryan Harris, John Hastings, Nathan Hauritz, Moises Henriques, Brad Hodge, James Hopes, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Andrew McDonald, Shaun Marsh, Clint McKay, Dirk Nannes, Tim Paine (wk), Steven Smith, Shaun Tait, Adam Voges, David Warner, Shane Watson, Cameron White.

Australia women's squad Jodie Fields (capt, wk), Sarah Andrews, Kristen Beams, Alex Blackwell, Kris Britt, Melissa Bulow, Jessica Cameron, Sarah Coyte, Lauren Ebsary, Sarah Elliott, Rene Farrell, Katelyn Fryett, Rachael Haynes, Alyssa Healy (wk), Julie Hunter, Jessica Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Meg Lanning, Renee Melton, Shelley Nitschke, Erin Osborne, Ellyse Perry, Kirsten Pike, Leah Poulton, Angela Reakes, Lisa Sthalekar, Selena Tainton, Elyse Villani, Julie Woerner, Laura Wright.

Lee an 'all-time express great'

"I don't think the public would appreciate how much pain he bowled in" © AFP

Brett Lee has retired from Tests after 76 games and 310 wickets in the hope of prolonging his one-day and Twenty20 careers. Here are some tributes from current and former players and administrators.

Dennis Lillee
"Brett is going to go down as one of the great all-time express bowlers in the world ... 150-plus kph puts a huge strain on the body and it can only take so much. For him to play 76 Tests and 300-odd wickets doing what he does is a credit to him."

Andrew Flintoff
"It is very sad to hear the news that Brett is to retire from Test cricket. Everyone will remember our little moment we shared after the Edgbaston Test in 2005, but for me the great battles with bat and ball against Brett will live with me for a long time."

Richie Benaud
"I hope Brett is able to continue to play for Australia in limited-overs internationals, he is a master of orthodox and reverse-swing and no one has ever been more proud to represent his country in Test cricket. Lee and Glenn McGrath formed a splendid partnership with the new ball in both forms of the game from 1999 to 2007 and being one of only nine Australian pace bowlers to take 200 Test wickets is a great achievement."

Damien Fleming
''Of the genuine quicks [of his era], he would have played twice as much as the other guys. We just thought we had discovered the Shane Warne of fast bowling [when he emerged]. That probably put unrealistic expectations on him, but that was my thinking because he actually bowled in really good areas in those first couple of Tests, and he was lightning.''

Jason Gillespie
"To always come back fitter, hungrier, stronger and bowling the pace that he bowled, I just think is a testament to his character. I don't think the public would appreciate how much pain he bowled in … and he always wanted another over.''

Justin Langer
"There are few better sights in the game of cricket than Brett Lee in white, sweat band pumping, high leap, poetic follow through and then a smile. Test cricket will be poorer without Brett, who apart from his fitness and skill, is one of the most likeable people I have met in the game of cricket."

Merv Hughes
"You look at Shoaib Akhtar and Shaun Tait and certainly Brett Lee was right up there in pace, his longevity at that pace was superb and I really can't believe that people questioned his ability."

Andrew Hilditch, Australia's chairman of selectors
"Brett has made an outstanding contribution to the Australian Test team over a long period and it has been a great pleasure to see him develop as a person and a cricketer over that period. He's been one of the world's quickest bowlers in Test cricket for a long period of time and a key member of Australia's squad during a very successful era in Australian cricket. While Brett has announced his retirement from Test cricket, we will continue to monitor his progress as he returns from injury and will be keeping a close eye on his form in the shorter formats."

James Sutherland, Cricket Australia's chief executive
"Brett's had a fantastic career in Test match cricket for Australia over a long period and I take this opportunity to congratulate him on the way he has represented his country and the outstanding contribution he has made. Brett has played a key role in helping the Australian team be one of the most successful Test teams in history. But it's also the way he went about his cricket, with a readiness to smile and a clear enjoyment of what he was doing, which also helped lift the team's popularity and won the support of fans in Australia and throughout the world."

Lee desperate to keep going despite Test exit

Brett Lee is preparing for a new lifestyle after stepping down from the five-day game © Getty Images

"This is not the end of me. It's a cricket choice and it's a lifestyle choice."

Brett Lee has said goodbye to the Test arena but at 33 is desperate to recover from elbow surgery to represent his country again in the game's shorter forms. Lee has not added to his 76 Tests since he fractured a bone in his left foot late in 2008 and if he thought his aching body could deal with the demands he would be pushing for more time under a baggy green.

But after dealing with long-term foot, ankle, side and elbow injuries over the past 15 months he knows his body can't take the strain. Despite his decision to focus on the one-day and Twenty20 formats - he hasn't decided whether he will go to the IPL yet - Lee does not want younger fast men to give up on Tests.

"Obviously, there's specialist one-day and Twenty20 bowlers," he said at the SCG. "But for me, Test cricket is where it's at. There's a lot of luck in Twenty 20, a lot of skill and a bit of luck in one-dayers. But Test cricket is a test for the bowlers and a test for the batsmen."

Lee said his best memory was his first Test wicket, which came when he bowled Sadagoppan Ramesh in his opening over on debut at the MCG in 1999-2000. "At that point I could've hung up the boots just then," he said.

He exploded on to the scene with 46 wickets in seven Tests before needing surgery following a severe elbow injury that threatened his career. After his recovery he went on to support Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie before becoming a first-choice weapon for Australia between 2005 and 2008.

After surgery early in 2009 he was committed to coming back for the Ashes campaign and made the tour squad, but strained his side having proved his potency in the final warm-up match. Another elbow operation was required when he was sent home from the one-day tour of India and he spent the summer working out what to do next.

"This hasn't happened overnight," he said. "This has been a long process. I've had the time to step away from cricket and what I want to achieve. It's been about a three- to four-month decision that I've made and finally I went with it."

Ricky Ponting said Lee, the fourth-highest wicket-taker for Australia, should be remembered as one of the game's greats. "If we all just take a minute and think about what he's put himself through in that 10 or 12 years," he said. "Running 35 metres to bowl every ball, bowling every ball at close to 150kph, and putting his heart on the line every ball he bowls, this bloke deserves a massive pat on the back."

Lee is still not sure when he will be back and is in no hurry to decide on whether he goes to India for the IPL. The security situation in India has led to the Australian Cricketers' Association combining with other player unions to demand more information from the IPL.

"It's just waiting and seeing," Lee said. "We're not in a rushed situation to make a call. We are not experts in that field." Lee has a US$900,000 contract with the Kings XI Punjab franchise and is a popular figure in India.