Brett Lee - A Tribute

I have had more comebacks or sequels than Rambo

With this quote, Brett lee pulled the curtains on a illustrious but injury hampered career. In my opinion, he chose the wrong Stallone character. He typified more of Rocky’s spirit. You can almost imagine him steaming in to bowl, preying on a batsman’s mind, to the tune of ‘Eye of the Tiger’. He was often injured but always quick. It’s quite taxing to be a fast bowler in world cricket these days, with the packed schedule taking its toll. So it wasn’t much of a surprise that Lee finally called it a day, thankfully not through another injury.

I still remember the day of his debut. It was on India’s disastrous tour of Australia in 1999. The batsman was Sadagopan Ramesh. Lee was cranking up some serious pace, and got Ramesh’s wicket with only his fourth ball in test Cricket. He never looked back from there, and went on to take 5 wickets in his very first innings. A star was born. He formed a lethal new-ball partnership with Mcgrath, providing ideal foil to Mcgrath’s consistent nagging line and length with his fiery speed, and along with spin wizard Warne, they formed an intimidating bowling line up. He was a wicket taker par excellence, especially in ODI’s with his strike rate of 29.4 being the best ever(min 200 wickets). Despite the constant injuries, he was able to forge a successful career, not allowing his pace to drop off even in the twilight of his career. He always gave his 100% on the field, and this attitude helped him bounce back with renewed vigor every time.

His duel with Shoaib Akhtar was the stuff of legends, and helped fast bowling reach new heights. They both bowled their hearts out, and reached remarkable speeds of more than 161km/h. It was certainly enthralling to watch, though probably not if you were the batsman. He finished as the second highest wicket taker in Austraila’s unbeaten campaign in the 2003 World Cup. He was an important member of the Invincible Australian team in the early 2000′s, and though not in the class of Pigeon Mcgrath, he always delivered. You can just look at the batsmen Lee dismissed most number of times in international cricket as a testament to his qualities; 15 – Sarwan, 14 – Tendulkar, 12 – Dravid, 11 – Sehwag/Strauss, 10 – Laxman/Gayle. Most, if not all, are modern greats.

As the above stats show, he was a constant thorn in India’s side, yet he remained a popular figure over here, and around the world. He was a true gentleman off the field. He devoted time to good causes, and is involved in many charitable works in India. It was perhaps his charming smile, his soft interior, and his love for anything Indian that made people consider him as one of our own. He even starred in a music video, with the legendary Asha Bhonsle crooning in Hindi (his dashing looks also helped him). It will not be an exaggeration to call India his second home, and we will be priviliged to see him in action again, thanks to the IPL.

One of the lasting memories I have of Brett Lee is not one of the many mentioned above, but of his valiant diving attempt to save 2 precious runs against India in a World Cup quarter-final, which was only rewarded by a bloodied cheek. This sort of fighting attitude typified him. As Australia’s national selector John Inverarity said, “The statistics only tell part of the story. Brett has been an absolute ornament to the game; a fine player, a fierce and brave competitor, a generous opponent, and one who always upheld the highest standards of sportsmanship. He has been a ‘cricketer’ in every sense of the word.”

He might already have appointed Pat Cummins as his successor, but it will surely be a long time before Australia, or the dying breed of express-fast-bowlers find a worthy replacement. Binga, you will be sorely missed.