Lee ready for bouncer bruises

Brett Lee will not beat himself up if his 18-month Test exile doesn't end at Lord's on Thursday, but he is prepared for a thorough going over by England's pace attack if he makes the side.

Lee has missed Australia's last 17 Tests after an ankle injury and the subsequent good form of Michael Kasprowicz kept him on the sidelines. But that hasn't stopped England unleashing a series of bouncers at him during the opening one-day stage of Australia's tour, Andrew Flintoff hitting him in the right shoulder with the first ball he faced against them in last month's Twenty20 match at the Rose Bowl.

Lee, 28, said he was ready for a few more bruises. "I've been a person that's bowled a few short balls in my time and I've been a person whose copped a few," he said. "I know England have tried to bounce our tail to put us on the backfoot and get us out as cheaply as possible. We've got some plans against their tail too."

Lee said getting hit was "not the most pleasant thing" but it was part of the game. "Intimidatory bowling is bowling to a plan and the plan is to get the batsman out," he said. "Provided you go by the rules there's nothing wrong with it."

After making an impression during the one-day series, Lee insisted he had become a better player during his Test absence and was adamant there was nothing more he could have done to regain his place. Lee is tipped to regain his spot with Kasprowicz and Jason Gillespie fighting for the final spot.

"Whatever happens on Thursday morning, I can go to sleep a happy person knowing I've done my very best," he said. "Over the past 18 months, as much as it might be hard to admit it, it's been a great learning curve and I think I've matured a lot more as a person and definitely as a cricketer."

He said he would give up all his speed records for the honour of starring at Lord's. "My aim as a young kid was to bowl 160kph or 100mph and I've achieved that on a few occasions," he said. "It was a great personal record but I'd give all that back to take five wickets in a Lord's Test. It would be pretty nice to say you've done that at the home of cricket."