Brett Lee has criticised Australian cricket's rotation policy, questioning whether the selectors know who the country's best bowlers are.
Lee is worried whether Australia's selectors will know who to pick for the upcoming crucial Test tours of India and England, and the 36-year-old also believes the rotation policy is diminishing the value of a baggy green cap.
Australia have used nine fast bowlers, including all-rounder Shane Watson, through the six Tests and one one-day international of the summer so far, making it hard to predict who will be the country's attack for the upcoming Ashes series.
"I don't think anyone knows (what Australia's best bowling attack is), I don't think the selectors know either and that's the issue," Lee said.
Lee is concerned the rotation policy is denying players their dreams, with Mitchell Starc's omission from the Boxing Day Test a noteworthy example, while also taking away from the achievement of being selected for the Australian Test team.
Having played 37 Tests, Lee was dropped in January 2004 and did not play another Test until July 2005 as Australia stuck with a bowling attack of Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz for 17 straight matches.
"I was trying my hardest to get into the side," Lee said.
"We had Kaspa, all the great bowlers ahead of me, and I didn't play for 18 months, they kept the same Test team for 18 months and that was great.
"I had to work my absolute backside off to get in the Test team and when I did, I knew that I'd earned it."
Lee does not believe the sports science behind the rotation policy, claiming it is more a concept of 'what if' and argues that playing injured is just a part of being fast bowler.
"If I put my hand up when I was injured I wouldn't have played since under-16s and it's the truth," Lee said.
"I've played, as a lot of bowlers have, day in, day out, you play with busted toes and you play with ligaments that are torn and torn muscles...that's a part of being a fast bowler.
"You've got to find a way to get up."
Lee is also concerned that Australia's main Test cricket rivals, England and South Africa, are not interested in a rotation policy for their fast bowlers.
"If you look at England and South Africa...they put their best attack on the team day in, day out," Lee said.
"And if for some reason Jacques Kallis isn't up for this game because he's got a niggle...then he'll have a rest and get ready for the next match."
First Posted 12 January, 2013 3:16PM AEST
