Lee 'pumped up' for Ashes

Brett Lee © Getty Images

Brett Lee is relishing the challenge of what could be the “biggest series” of his career when Australia take on England for the Ashes later this year.

England won back the famous urn last summer in one of the most exciting series in history and talk has long since turned to their defence, which begins in 100 days’ time.

“I`m pumped up for it - it`s going to be a great series,” said fast bowler Lee.

“The Ashes is absolutely amazing, something that we`ve been looking forward to for some time now.

“It`s possibly the biggest series that I`ll ever play in.”

Lee, 29, admits his side will be trying to put last year`s disappointment behind them as they go all out to prevent England taking the Ashes back home with them.

"We try to leave behind what happened in the last Ashes series," he said.

"We know that we don't have too much to fall back on with the way that we played last time, but we'll be going up there (to the first Test) with a pretty open mind and we`ll try to play our best cricket and really try to win the Ashes back."

Reports suggest seamer Glenn McGrath is bowling as well as he ever has © Getty Images

Australia`s preparations have been buoyed by the recent return of Lee`s fellow paceman Glenn McGrath, who earlier this year took a break from the game as he supported his wife in her recovery from cancer.

McGrath is Australia's most experienced fast bowler and has been especially successful against England, taking 136 wickets at 20.47.

"He's been training very hard, which is encouraging," said Lee.

"He has had a great break to get his body right and I'm sure that Glenn's chomping at the bit to get out there and play Test cricket again.

"He's saying he's bowling the quickest he's ever bowled so, if the reports (are right), well happy days. It will be great to have Glenn back."

McGrath was forced to sit out the fourth Test in last year's Ashes series with an elbow injury, a match England won. That proved the decisive victory as the hosts claimed a 2-1 series victory.

"We did miss him when he was out over there. No disrespect to the other players that came in, they did more than what they were asked to do.

"In saying that, Glenn has got that knowledge. He's been our best fast bowler for some time now, and the stats prove it as well.

"Over the past 12 months we've been working on a few different tactics and techniques that we probably were lacking a little bit over in England. There's no secret in that," he said.

Michael Clarke found last summer's failure hard to stomach © Getty Images

"We've got a lot of cricket to play first, but our mind is definitely set on the Ashes coming up."

Michael Clarke is determined to make up for last year’s disappointment when England arrive Down Under.

The batsman was one of the few successes in an otherwise disappointing series for the Baggy Greens. But Clarke only has the first Test at Lord’s, which Australia won by 239 runs, as a reminder of when England were made to suffer.

He said: "I think the pain right at the end stands out for me, knowing that for me being in my first Ashes series, the result was nothing like I expected, especially after the first Test at Lord`s.

"To see guys that have been playing cricket for such a long time - Glenn, Warnie (Shane Warne) - so disappointed..."

The defeat has made Clarke keen to atone and the 25-year-old is desperate for a chance to regain the Ashes in the forthcoming series, which starts on November 23 at the Gabba.

He added: "Beating England is a great feeling and I only experienced it in that first Test, so hopefully I'll get the chance again this summer to get that feeling," he said.

"Right now I have that burning desire to be part of the team again for that first Test in Brisbane and win the Ashes back."