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Message: <blockquote data-quote="chandikagunawardhana" data-source="post: 5306926" data-attributes="member: 11539">Australia consider pace barrageAustralia will consider employing four fast bowlers at Headingley, but the chances of Brett Lee figuring among those appears remote. Ricky Ponting, speaking at his pre-match press conference, echoed the concerns of Shane Watson the previous day by questioning whether Lee has enough miles in his legs to be considered for the potentially decisive fourth Test.A frustrated Lee terrorised Australia's batsmen throughout Wednesday's net session, then fronted the media immediately afterwards to declare himself 100 percent fit. That training run came one month and one day after his last fully fledged hit-out against the England Lions at Worcester, prompting concerns over his readiness to withstand the rigours of a full Test match.The Australians have twice paid the price for gambling on Lee's health in the past year. Selectors persisted with their senior pacemen throughout the 2008 tour of India, despite him arriving on tour underdone and later battling the effects of Giardia. He claimed eight wickets at 61.62 in four Tests. Lee was also selected to play the Boxing Day Test against South Africa with a sore foot that would later require surgery. He was unable to take the field for the entire third day's play, having managed just 1 wicket for 249 runs in the series to that point."Brett ran in as hard as he had for a long time yesterday in the nets," Ponting said. "Most of us batters were on the receiving end of a few short ones. He bowled with some good pace. I'm sure what the selectors will be thinking about right at the moment is if he has done enough bowling at full speed to warrant selection in a Test match. As we know it's not just one day of bowling, it could be two or three days of successive bowling at 100 percent. That's what they'll be tossing up this afternoon."The actual injury probably went on a little longer than what Brett would have liked and what we would have liked. I think he's only had a few days of bowling at 100 percent. That's where we have to listen to what he has to say about how he's feeling, but more importantly the selectors have to weigh everything up about where we're at in the series and if we can go in with a guy who has only bowled a couple of days at full pace."Should Lee be overlooked, Stuart Clark is expected to slot into the Australian XI at the expense of either Nathan Hauritz or Peter Siddle. Hauritz would appear the most likely selection casualty given Australia's quest for 20-wickets - a feat they have not achieved in the the previous three Tests - and their perilous position in the series.When asked if Headingley was the place where he would feel most comfortable choosing four pacemen Ricky Ponting said: "It probably is. This is a venue that's actually had a lot of results and when it's like this and a bit cloudy, the ball tends to swing around quite a lot. So we've got to take those things into consideration, one with our selections and two with the guys to play the game. Historically the spinners have found it pretty difficult here."Hauritz, the offspinner, performed strongly in the opening two Tests, but picked up only one victim in the seaming and swinging conditions at Edgbaston, which are likely to be repeated in Leeds. Australia managed 10 wickets during the rain-interrupted contest in Birmingham, but have lacked penetration throughout the series, taking 16 at Lord's and an agonising 19 in Cardiff.The weather may also push Ponting towards picking another fast bowler, with light rain predicted for Friday and Monday. "The forecast doesn't look great again either so there's the prospect of a shorter game," he said. "The possibility of playing another bowler knowing we can take 20 wickets in a shortened game is something we've been discussing."Australia will decide their final XI after Thursday's training session, but the case for selection put forth by Clark is a compelling one. The right-armer has bowled with accuracy and consistency in three tour matches - taking nine wickets at 25.00 from 73 overs - and would provide Australia with a containment and pressure-building option they have not possessed all series.Clark is desperate to add to his 90 wickets in 22 Tests but must convince Jamie Cox, the on-duty selector, he is a better option than Siddle or Hauritz, the former of whom has almost used up his selection credits from the successful South Africa trip."There was a big decision made right before the first Test which way we went with our quick bowlers, and definitely his name is in the running for this week," Ponting said of Clark.Both Siddle and Johnson are averaging more than 40 for their 10 wickets in three games and have given away around four runs an over. Hilfenhaus has been the most impressive operator on tour but needs some tight support if Australia are going to overcome England.While they are confused over the make-up of their side, Ponting sees some fragile spots in England's batting order. The hosts have a 14-man squad and if Andrew Flintoff is scratched it is expected Ravi Bopara, Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott, the debutant, will form half of the top six."With Kevin Pietersen out you just read down their list and it looks like a different batting line-up," Ponting said. "If anything, right through the series, we've been just searching a little bit too much for wickets with our quicks. We haven't been able to build sustained periods of pressure on them. If we can do that I'm sure with their middle order the way it is, we can create a lot of chances. That's what we'll be hoping to do this week."</blockquote>

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