"Don't speak to Sachin when he is batting" - Brett Lee on why Australia never sledged Sachin Tendulkar

Brett Lee and Sachin Tendulkar are great friends off the field.

The Australian recently stated that Tendulkar was one of the most competitive cricketers out there when they faced off against each other on the field. The Little Master was always keen to dominate the opposition and Lee spoke about how the Indian legend's determination could be seen in his eyes.

Australian teams of the past were famous for playing mind games and sledging opposition batters to unsettle them. However, in a video on his YouTube channel, Brett Lee spoke about why they never tried to sledge Sachin Tendulkar. He said:

"Sachin Tendulkar on the field is completely different to what he is off it. When you bowl at him, you look in his eyes, the eyes of a tiger. He wants it, wants to get into the battle."

Lee added:

"We always told each other 'Don't speak to Sachin when he is batting'. Because if you get under his skin by trying to sledge him, you know he will be batting out there forever."

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Brett Lee on his off-field bond with Sachin Tendulkar

Brett Lee and Sachin Tendulkar have had some great times off the field as there has always been mutual respect beetween the two world-class players. The former Australian speedster opened up on how they had dinners together and also participated in some adventurous activities like go-karting.

On this, he stated:

"I have had the pleasure of knowing Sachin off the field. We went out for dinner together, for go-karting and he has always been just like a normal guy deep down, so humble."

Lee went on to add:

"One thing I love about Sachin every time I come here (India) is how good he is with the kids. The number of people who want to take my autograph, multiply it by a billion, and that's Sachin."

Tendulkar and Lee faced off on several occasions across formats with varying degrees of success against each other. While the Little Master went on to become arguably the greatest batter of all-time, "Binga" remains one of the best pacers to have played the sport.