Injury could end Lee's career

Sydney:  It may be curtains for the Australian fast bowler Brett Lee, who has admitted that there is a distinct possibility of him not bowling in competitive cricket again as he is yet to recover from a serious elbow injury.

According to media reports here, Lee said he would consult Test captain Ricky Ponting before deciding whether to press on with his career or to pull the plug on his 13-year career.

His hopes of a Test recall had an almost terminal setback on Friday when Australia coach Tim Nielsen revealed the 33-year-old was at long odds to wear the baggy green again.

No guarantee

Lee is working hard on his rehabilitation from elbow surgery but admits there is no guarantee he will be seen in Australian colours again. "As far as my cricket goes, anything is possible. You can read into it what you want, but I may play one-dayers, or no cricket at all," said Lee, who has taken 310 Test wickets and 324 one-day scalps.

"I may never bowl another ball again, and if that's the case I'm so satisfied with my career and my longevity. I'm not saying it's definitely over, but I'm not sure what I want to be just yet. To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure what I still want to do at this point in my cricketing life. I need to get to the stage where, if I want to, I can do what I need to do on the field," he added.

"If it's the case that I don't play again, well that's the case. There is a part of me that would like to play some sort of cricket again. But what kind of cricket that is, I don't know," he said. The 76-Test veteran has had 12 injuries throughout his 13-year first-class career, including back, ankle, rib and elbow problems.

Lifestyle choice

But he says he has never encountered an injury like his recent elbow complaint.

"I'm making a lifestyle decision here as opposed to a cricketing one and I'll see what comes out of it," he said.