Lee: Johnson should have played in Ashes

Cricket365
August 28, 2013

Former Australia fast bowler Brett Lee wishes the selectors had picked a few more express pace bowlers during the Ashes, saying someone like Mitchell Johnson would have been effective against England.

England won the Ashes three-nil, with two draws, and while Lee thought the Aussie bowlers did quite well, he though they could have done with a bit more variety. While Ryan Harris was superb, and Peter Siddle too, none were of Lee or Johnson's pace.

Lee told the Cricket Australia website: "Its obviously been a disappointing series for the Australians, I think pace-wise we've done pretty well.

"The only negative thing you can probably draw upon, and listening to the commentary team over there, was that Australia chose all the same type of bowler.

"I want to see a Pat Cummins come in, I want to see Mitchell Johnson back."

Johnson, who has played 51 Tests for the Baggy green, last played a five-day game in March, against India in Delhi. He then went on to play for the Mumbai Indians, performing superbly, before joining up with Australia in the Champions Trophy.

Lee added of his former team-mate: "I was surprised that Mitchell Johnson didn't get the opportunity and that's nothing against the guys that went over, they all warranted their spot.

"Get some pace in, get some pace back in the Australian team. Get some sort of fear factor going. 130 kms seam up is good. You need that."

Lee was then asked whether he thought T20s were ruining Test cricket, and he said he felt the opposite of most, and thought some T20 players were actually becoming better at the longest format.

He said: "I'll go the other way and say it's actually improved Test cricket. It gave a guy like Steve Smith, the opportunity through the Indian Premier League to put his name back up in lights.

"He went on the path where he was sliding down that slippery pole there for a while, went over to the Indian Premier League and had a cracker of a season.

"Then he's back playing for the Australian cricket team and he's back playing Test cricket and scoring a beautiful hundred."