Lee 'ready to lead' attack

Brett Lee believes he is prepared to take Glenn McGrath's place as the leader of Australia's fast-bowling attack and he said Stuart Clark was the perfect man to help him fill the hole left by McGrath.

"From my point of view it is time to take over with the leadership role," Lee told the Herald Sun. "I am never going to be the same type of bowler Glenn is. It is very hard to replace Glenn, period."

Lee, who took 3 for 75 in England's first innings at Sydney and was on a hat-trick at one stage, said his form had improved markedly since the start of the series. "I have felt good the last couple of games," Lee said. "I felt my rhythm and run-up were not great in the first three Tests, but it feels better now."

He said he had been working on his run-up with the Australia bowling coach Troy Cooley and had developed a shorter approach to the crease. Lee said with McGrath and Shane Warne bowing out at the same time, Clark's emergence as a consistent wicket-taker would help his own bowling.

"I am enjoying working in a partnership with Stuey because I feel when we bowl together from different ends we have fed off each other," Lee said. "We played junior cricket together so we have been playing together for more than a decade and I'm hoping we can fill the void."