Cricket Australia defends Lee workload

Getty Images ©

Brett Lee's latest injury was not the result of mismanagement of his training program, Cricket Australia has said.

Team physio Alex Kountouris said Lee's workload had been closely monitored during his comeback from ankle surgery last summer.

Lee broke down on Monday with an abdominal strain which will rule him out of the opening two Tests in Cardiff and Lord's.

The 32-year-old has bowled close to 60 overs in the past fortnight in Australia's two four-day tour matches against Sussex and the England Lions.

Prior to that, he played three Twenty20 matches for Australia and a handful of games in this year's IPL tournament in South Africa.

Kountouris said Australia's early exit from the ICC World Twenty20 had given Lee extra time to steadily increase his workload at training.

"It's always different when you go into a game," he said.

"He's played back to back four-day games after a long period. It's just one of those things that can happen early in a season, so to speak."

Lee said the injury was not a result of over-exertion.

"It's a matter of having six months away from playing four- and five-day cricket," he said.

"Twenty20 cricket you can probably get away with it because it's easing back into the game and I suppose the workload isn't as heavy backing up day after day."

Lee said the game in Worcester had been a 'do or die' match for him.

"I had to go out there and prove ... that I can still bowl fast even at 32," he said.

"Unfortunately, it's just happened. It's part of fast bowling. It's only the second time I've torn a muscle in 16 years. It just happened at a pretty bad time, unfortunately."