Now Mr Abbott has used his first vote in office to select Lee as captain of the Prime Minister's XI for the match against England at Canberra's Manuka Oval on January 14.

Lee, the former Australian fast-bowler, declared he was no swing-voter when he controversially tweeted after Australia's victory over England in the opening Ashes Test at Brisbane on November 24.

Perhaps, Lee, now 37, already knew he was about to be promoted up the order by the new Prime Minister, who took to the crease in September.

''It's no secret I'm a fan of Tony Abbott and what he's doing for the country,'' Lee said on Wednesday.

''I'm not going to go into the politics side of it. I was very pleased when I got the call-up.''

Mr Abbott played a straight bat on Wednesday to any suggestions mixing sport and politics, delivering a speech but not taking questions on the PMsXI fixture.

Mr Abbott, known more for his sporting skills in triathlon and budgie smugglers, said he was no cricket tragic and had been stumped by selections.

Mr Abbott said he'd relied on advice from cricket writer and transgender Australian Defence Lieutenant Colonel Cate McGregor, as well as Cricket Australia's chairman of selectors, John Inverarity.

Indeed, Mr Abbott said he'd only had fleeting interest in playing cricket, signing up during his studies at Oxford University because it afforded him early entry to the cricket bar.

Mr Abbott joked he was neither a batsman or bowler, but was a pretty good pitching in with sledges, which had maybe prepared him for a career in politics.

Mr Abbott's office refused a request to put his skills to the test, to roll his arm over for the cameras.

Former Labor Prime Minister Julia Gillard had also refused to display her cricketing skills when in office, the country's leaders no doubt a little nervous after John Howard's infamous half-trackers on a dusty pitch in Pakistan in 2005.

Lee took more than 718 wickets for Australia in 322 matches across all forms of the game.

But he has a special place for the PMsXI game, given his first match was against India in 1999 and helped propel him towards his test debut, three weeks later at the MCG Boxing Day Test.

''It's a great honour for me to be selected .... I know first hand how this important fixture on the Australian cricketing calendar can help propel the careers of young aspiring crickers.''