Sydney, May 6 (ANI): New South Wales fast bowler Doug Bollinger must be feeling a touch unlucky not to have made it to the Australian Twenty20 squad for next month's World Cup, especially in the wake of the selectors pitching for 32-year-old Brett Lee, who has not bowled in a match since December last year.

After a string of superb performances in the one-dayers against Pakistan, Bollinger was looming as the next cab off the rank among Australia's pacers, but he was squeezed out of the squad by Lee's elevation.

Bollinger was NSW's T20 player of the year when they won the domestic title last summer and his efforts against Pakistan had moved him to the brink of World Cup selection, despite an earlier omission from a preliminary 30-man squad, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Bollinger was unavailable for comment last night.

Hilditch said Lee's selection was an essential part of his preparation for the Ashes.

Australian squad: Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Nathan Bracken, Brad Haddin, Nathan Hauritz, Ben Hilfenhaus, James Hopes, David Hussey, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Peter Siddle, Andrew Symonds, David Warner, Shane Watson. (ANI)