Brett Lee, Mike Hussey leave Channel Nine's cricket coverage as Michael Clarke takes over

Wellington: Brett Lee and Mike Hussey, the two former Australian cricket stars, won`t be part of the Nine Network`s cricket commentary team in Australia this summer as former skipper Michael Clarke takes over a new line-up.

As per reports, the network is in discussions with Kevin Pietersen and Waqar Younis to make specialist commentary appearances during the upcoming Test series against South Africa and Pakistan.

It should be noted that Lee and Hussey became a part of the new generation of callers at the Nine after taking retirements.

However, the network is insisting the two are not pushed out of the commentary team.

"As part of Nine`s stronger and deeper relationship with Cricket Australia, Wide World of Sports is providing Michael Hussey to host and report for Cricket Australia`s digital platforms this summer," stuff.co.nz quoted the Nine director of sport Tom Malone as saying.

"Mike will provide the link between Nine`s commentary team and the Cricket Australia digital content. Brett Lee`s new business interests and young family are taking up increasing amounts of Brett`s time and there isn`t the space to squeeze in his commentary commitments as well," he added.

Ruling out his possible return to this year`s Big Bash League (BBL), Clarke had in September confirmed that he has instead struck a deal to join a TV commentary team this summer.

Clarke, who retired from all forms of cricket following the disastrous Ashes series in England last August, had returned to Sydney grade cricket with Western Suburbs in February before featuring in the Hong Kong Twenty20 tournament in May.