SYDNEY (Reuters)
Former Australia pace bowler Jeff Thomson has said New Zealand have no chance of beating world champions Australia in the three-Test series starting on November 8.

"Yeah, I give New Zealand a chance," Thomson said. "None. Look at the personnel on both teams ... how can they possibly beat us?"

Thomson, 51, who took 200 Test wickets and was a television commentator in England this year as Brett Lee took nine wickets at 55.11 while Australia won the series 4-1, also had some advice for Lee.

The blond fast bowler, troubled by a side strain, is attempting to prove his fitness to play for New South Wales in a four-day interstate match against South Australia starting in Sydney on October 26.

"He bowled very poorly in England," Thomson was quoted as saying by Australian Associated Press. "There were a few good spells in there but the rest was pretty average and the statistics showed that.

"It was back-to-the-rest-of-the-field stuff and that's not what he's there for. He's there to bowl fast, that's his job and that's what he should be doing."

Lee, 24, who started the Ashes tour while recovering from an elbow operation, was then hampered by a side strain late in the tour. "It seems like every time I start getting it right something goes wrong, a little niggle somewhere, and then I'm back to square one," Lee said. "But I feel good now, great."

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