Senior paceman Brett Lee today questioned Australia’s contentious rotation selection policy after injury struck down fast bowler Mitchell Starc ahead of the second one-day international against Sri Lanka.

Starc’s future in the five-match series is uncertain after he suffered calf soreness in Australia’s 107-run thumping of the tourists in the ODI opener in Melbourne on Friday.

South Australia’s inexperienced 21-year-old paceman Kane Richardson has been placed on standby in the squad but is expected to be 12th man for Sunday’s one-dayer in Adelaide with Ben Cutting likely to make his debut.

With Starc out, Lee criticised the rotation policy, branding it confusing.

“I believe, and I’m a bit old school, that you’ve got to earn your right to play for Australia,” he told reporters on Saturday.

“You don’t want to breed a culture where you’re looking over your shoulder every time – who’s out this week? Who’s getting rested? Who’s coming in because there are four or five guys waiting to take my spot?

“On the one hand I think it’s great that everybody’s getting an opportunity.

“But also, if I’m a paying member of the public, I want to see Australia’s number one side. What is that side? I don’t know, no one knows.”

Lee said relying on sports science as the basis for a rotation policy was flawed.

“It’s all speculation, there are no proven stats as to a certain amount of balls you can bowl,” he said.

“People are getting rested on what if someone gets injured.

“I just don’t reckon you can do that, you can’t have what if sort of policy.”

Australia will again rest Test men Michael Clarke, David Warner and Matthew Wade from Sunday’s game in Adelaide.

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