A full house is expected to pack into the redeveloped ground to see the semi-retired champion lead the Prime Minister’s XI into battle against an England side still reeling from its 5-0 Ashes whitewash.
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The two teams put their rivalry aside on Monday night as they attended a reception at Parliament House.
Lee would have been keen to catch up with Prime Minister Tony Abbott, after he commented on Twitter last month that Abbott should take some credit for Australia reclaiming the Ashes.
Lee was caught off guard by the hot conditions, the 37-year-old who claimed 310 Test wickets and is still playing with the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League eager to have one final crack at the old enemy.
‘‘When this side was chosen a few weeks ago and playing here in Canberra, I thought it’d be nice to bowl at night, hopefully 15 degrees or so,’’ Lee said.
‘‘But to look at the forecast ... [it] is going to be tough work.
‘‘It’s tough for England as well, but we’ll have to just deal with the heat.’’
More than $7 million has been spent on upgrades to Manuka Oval in the past six months, including digging up the playing surface for the first time in the ground’s 90-year history, adding an extra 1000 seats and the installation of new player dugouts.
The ACT Government has also increased the amount of food and beverage outlets, instigated free transport on ACTION buses with a game ticket and relaxed restrictions on parking near the ground after issues from last year’s PM’s XI game.
Hydration stations will be located throughout the ground to cope with the heat, while there will also be free sunscreen available to spectators.
Cricket ACT chief executive Mark Vergano was confident there were enough measures in place to ensure spectators would have a positive experience.
‘‘We’ve been putting out messages through radio and TV to remind people about their hats, to remain well hydrated, about their sunglasses and about wearing appropriate clothing and covering up,’’ Vergano said.
‘‘Behind the scenes, we’ve been speaking to the caterers to make sure we’ve got plenty of water on hand and they’ll be water stations to allow people to fill their water bottles.
‘‘We want people to enjoy themselves. It’s going to be a great atmosphere, but we’ve got a collective responsibility to make sure the person next to us enjoys themselves as much as yourself.’’
ACT Policing will use CCTV footage to monitor proceedings and have warned that anti-social behaviour won’t be tolerated.
Acting Superintendent Matt Corbitt said police and security will be closely monitoring crowd behaviour and would act to ensure the safety of all spectators.
“We want people to have a good time at the cricket, but to also act responsibly,’’ Acting Superintendent Corbitt said.
‘‘There will be a visible police presence both in and around Manuka Oval and anyone who wants to engage in anti-social behaviour may be placed into police custody”.
“Australians love their sport and it’s our job to ensure major sporting events are a safe and fun environment.’’
