Pacemen Brett Lee and Shaun Tait were Tuesday named in Australia's squad for the opening match of a seven-game one-day international series against England, raising their hopes of a World Cup berth.
Pacemen Brett Lee and Shaun Tait were Tuesday named in Australia's squad for the opening match of a seven-game one-day international series against England, raising their hopes of a World Cup berth.
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Lee and Tait, who are both returning from injuries, were included in a 14-man squad for Sunday's first one-dayer against the Ashes victors at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The 15-man World Cup squad will be announced on January 19 with chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch saying both quicks were in the frame for the tournament in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, starting next month.
Hilditch said the balance of the World Cup squad "will probably be very much reflected in the team we have just announced" for the first one-day fixture against England.
"But we are still looking at two or three people ahead of that final 15 selection," Hilditch told reporters.
"I don't want to be specific, obviously we know the areas we need to be looking at ahead of the final selection."
Hilditch said Tait and Lee were "both looking extremely fit at the moment".
"Obviously Taity has only had limited bowling coming back but it's all going really well.
"He's probably fitter than he has been in his life," he said of the pace spearhead, who has just returned from a three-month layoff following elbow surgery.
"But obviously the elbow is an issue. It seems to be going really well so obviously we're looking at that over the next couple of Twenty20s and the one-day game to make sure he's at his best, but all the signs are positive.
"Brett has had a longer lead in from injury and we're looking at him to make sure that he's back to his best."
The 14-man squad will be captained by Michael Clarke in the absence of the injured Ricky Ponting.
Hilditch said squads for the remainder of the series against England would be announced after the World Cup squad is named next week.
Australia - Michael Clarke (capt), Cameron White (vice-capt), Doug Bollinger, Xavier Doherty, Brad Haddin, Nathan Hauritz, David Hussey, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Peter Siddle, Steve Smith, Shaun Tait, Shane Watson.
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