July 03, 2007	Tuesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 17, 1428

SYDNEY, July 2: Strike bowler Brett Lee is on track for a return to the Australian team for September's Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa after being included in a preliminary 30-man squad on Monday.

Lee, who missed last April's World Cup after ankle surgery, is progressing well and hopes to be fit for the inaugural 20-over competition from Sept 12 to 24.

Lee is joined in the squad by fellow paceman Shaun Tait, who is also making good progress after surgery to remove scar tissue from his right elbow last month.

The squad contains all members of the team that won the World Cup in the Caribbean two months ago, apart from the retired Glenn McGrath.

The squad, which will be reduced to the final 15 in the middle of July, includes the bulk of player who helped Australia win the one-day World Cup in the West Indies as well as some of the country's most promising youngsters.“We believe we've picked a squad of 30 specifically for the game of Twenty20 cricket with a view to Australia becoming a force in this form of the game,” Australia's chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said in a statement.

Preliminary squad: Ricky Ponting (captain), Adam Gilchrist, George Bailey, Nathan Bracken, Luke Butterworth, Stuart Clark, Michael Clarke, Dan Cullen, Brendan Drew, Brad Haddin, Shane Harwood, Matthew Hayden, Ben Hilfenhaus, Brad Hodge, Brad Hogg, James Hopes, David Hussey, Mike Hussey, Phil Jaques, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Andrew McDonald, Ashley Noffke, Marcus North, Luke Ronchi, Andrew Symonds, Shaun Tait, Adam Voges, Shane Watson, Cameron White.—Agencies