Sydney: Australia's cricket chiefs have asked their hosts for permission to play an extra man in two tour matches ahead of the first Ashes Test against England, Cricket Australia said on Tuesday.

The return of veterans Brett Lee and Stuart Clark has presented a selection puzzle after Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus shone in a 2-1 series win in South Africa in March.

Cricket Australia has asked the England and Wales Cricket Board for permission to play 12 players in matches against Sussex on June 24-27 and England Lions on July 1-4, spokesman Michael Brown told reporters.

The board is expected to grant permission as Australia allowed its squad to do the same when they travelled Down Under in 2006-07.

Lee and Clark have both returned from injuries in limited overs cricket in the past month and Lee will make his international comeback in the Twenty20 World Cup next month.

"Binga (Lee) is still a bit of an unknown," said Ricky Ponting, Australia's captain. "I'm hearing a lot of good things out of South Africa about how he bowled in the IPL but we haven't seen him up close yet.

"The first two games we play leading into the first Test will tell us a pretty good story about where we see all of those five fast bowlers.

"That will be our best chance to look at the likelihood of some of those guys playing the first Test.

"I couldn't be happier with the squad of fast bowlers we've got together in this group and there will be some great competition for spots come the first Test match and that in itself makes it a very exciting team to be around."

Australia's Twenty20 squad, which includes nine Ashes tourists, flies out for England on Wednesday. The Ashes series starts with the first Test opening in Cardiff on July 8.