Lee determined to win Ashes place

Australia paceman Brett Lee is hoping a spell in the Indian Premier League will help him regain fitness ahead of the Ashes series in England.

Lee decided against a spell in county cricket in favour of bowling short spells in the Twenty20 tournament as he plots his comeback from ankle surgery.

"The ankle is feeling great, and I'm definitely on schedule," said Lee, 32.

"I've played in two Ashes there, and I'm looking forward to getting back and making the third one even better."

Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus have seized the opportunity created by injuries to Lee and Stuart Clark to stake their claim for places by bowling Australia to an unassailable 2-0 lead in the current Test series in South Africa.

And Lee, a veteran of 76 Tests and 173 limited overs internationals, acknowledges he has no automatic right to a place in the first-choice XI.

"I think it's very healthy for Australian cricket," he said.

"I always keep a note on what's happening overseas, and the guys have been playing extremely well.

"But I know what I have to do and I'm excited. I'm only 32 years of age, so I'm looking forward to getting back on the park.

"I'm just hoping my record speaks for itself."

Lee, who has now had five separate operations on his ankle, will play for the Mohali Kings in the IPL next month.

"I can bowl four overs straight, depending on how the game goes," he added.

"The way I look at it, it's the perfect lead in - so I'm actually really excited about it. That will be my first opportunity to bowl in a competition, so I'll be back bowling in the IPL and enjoying sub-continent cricket again."

Lee took 20 wickets in the 2005 Ashes series in England, which Australia lost 2-1, but they came at a cost of 41 runs each and he is eager to try and do better this summer.

The 2009 series gets under way in Cardiff on 8 July.