Hampshire's curse of big-name overseas stars dropping out of their Friends Provident t20 campaign struck again this morning with Australia's Brett Lee forced to stay Down Under for further treatment on his long-standing elbow injury.

The 33-year-old fast bowler was expected to play in Australia's two T20 games against Pakistan at Edgbaston on July 5 and 6 before joining up with the Royals for their last four FP t20 games; at Somerset, back-to-back games against Middlesex at Uxbridge and The Rose Bowl before a visit from Sussex on July 18.

Royals fans had been looking forward to the tantalising prospect of a Brett Lee/Simon Jones new-ball pairing but Lee's elbow injury he sustained in the warm-up to the World Twenty20 Cup has taken longer than expected to heal.

He joins Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi, who has decided instead to play for his country this summer in series against Australia and England, in not making it to the Rose Bowl this summer.

In addition, Sri Lankan spinners Herath Rangana flew home last night having been recalled by his country while Ajantha Mendis, who is due to arrive on July 1, also looks unlikely to arrive.

Mendis is taking part in the Asia Cup this month and hopes to come to The Rose Bowl after that, but Hampshire manager Giles White said: "We won't expect him to come, but we'll also remain hopeful that he may join us at some stage.

"It's very much up in the air whether the Sri Lankan Board will release him."

Lee had made no secret of his desire to follow the path to the Rose Bowl trod by past and present Australia teammates Shane Warne, Michael Clarke, Simon Katich, Stuart Clark and Shane Watson.

He played the last of his 78 Tests 18 months ago and retired from the longer form of the game in February to extend his one-day and T20 career.

A broken thumb restricted him to four games for King's XI Punjab in this year's IPL before he sustained his elbow injury that ruled him out of the ICC World Twenty20.