Oz selectors say Lee, Hilfenhaus can return to top flight cricket

Sydney, Feb.19 (ANI): Australia's National Selection Panel (NSP) has said that they can pick Brett Lee again, but will wait until June to recall Ashes swingman Ben Hilfenhaus.

Citing Lee's exceptional displays prior to suffering a serious elbow injury on last year's limited overs tour of India, NSP chairman Andrew Hilditch said he wanted to see the 33-year-old spearhead back in action.

"I think if Brett gets back to full fitness he'll be very much in the running for both the T20 and one-day sides," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Hilditch, as saying on Thursday.

He added: "He had a very difficult run during the Ashes but then came back and was in a real dominant role in our victories in one day cricket up until his recent injury (in India). It was probably as well as I've seen him bowl in one day cricket when he came back. If he comes back like that then he'll be strongly in contention."

Hilditch made a subtle acknowledgment that Hilfenhaus had not been managed correctly following the Ashes series, in which he excelled but suffered from the early signs of knee tendonitis that would worsen across subsequent tours.

"It's a slower recovery than we probably would've liked but we're also being fairly conservative," Hilditch said.

"We would expect him to be ready to play in the tournament in June and July against Pakistan in England. They're being conservative and he's coming along well but we've got to get it right this time," Hilditch said of Hilfenhaus. (ANI)