Aug. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Australian cricket selectors drafted uncapped pace bowler Stuart Clark into their Ashes squad as cover for injured Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath, 48 hours before the third of five Tests against England.

Lee, Australia's quickest bowler, was yesterday admitted to hospital in Birmingham, England, with a suspected knee infection, and McGrath's ankle injury will probably rule him out until at least the fourth Test. The third match in the series, which is tied at 1-1, begins at Old Trafford, Manchester, on Aug. 11.

Clark, 29, from New South Wales, is already in England, where he plays county cricket for Middlesex. He'll join the tourists in Manchester today, Cricket Australia said in an e- mailed statement.

``We consider Stuart to be a similar style bowler to Glenn McGrath,'' Chairman of Selectors Trevor Hohns said in the statement.

The injuries to Lee and McGrath left Australia with Jason Gillespie, Michael Kasprowicz and the uncapped Shaun Tait as its fast bowlers. Clark made his first-class cricket debut for New South Wales against Tasmania in Sydney in 1997-98 and has taken 175 wickets in 53 matches for an average of 31.16.

Selectors had been considering all-rounder Shane Watson as an option for Old Trafford to accommodate Stuart MacGill alongside fellow leg-spinner Shane Warne on a pitch that traditionally assists spin bowlers.

50-50 Chance

Australian team physiotherapist Errol Alcott yesterday told reporters that Lee is a ``50-50'' chance to play. Lee, 28, helped Australia get within three runs of victory in the second Test at Edgbaston, hitting an unbeaten 43 as Australia rallied from 175-8 to 279 all out chasing 282 to win.

Lee, who also took nine wickets in the first two Tests, would need to be free of infection to play at Old Trafford, Alcott said.

``We're optimistic that he's going to be fit,'' he said. ``Of course it depends on how the infection responds to the therapy he's given.''

McGrath, Australia's most-successful fast bowler, tore ankle ligaments when he trod on a cricket ball during the warm-up for the second Test and didn't play. The top-ranked bowler has targeted a return in game four in Nottingham.

To contact the reporters on this story: Dan Baynes in Sydney dbaynes@bloomberg.net or Dex McLuskey on at dmcluskey@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: August 9, 2005 04:20 EDT