Brett Lee out of World Cup

WE'RE disappointed and we're English. Australian fans must be gutted. Brett Lee must be inconsolable.

There are always going to be players who miss out on the World Cup through injury. From a fan's point of view, regardless of allegiance, you just hope that it isn't the most exciting players.

One man's loss is another's gain, however and Stuart Clark will get the call. Fantastic as his fledgling Test career has been thus far, he's no replacement for Lee who's got that all-important one-day knack of making a huge difference in a short space of time.

You can't stifle the batsmen with repetitive length in one-day cricket. It's actually a weakness to be too predictable. Stuart Clark's a great bowler, but his strengths contrast markedly with Lee's.

Brett Lee will have to pass the time with sponsored fun, as in the picture. Wow. He's clearly having a fantastic time, isn't he? We wish someone sponsored our fun. We'd earn pence.