"I hated bowling to Sachin" - Brett Lee on the batter he had the most difficulty bowling to
Former Australian pacer Brett Lee has revealed he hated bowling to legendary Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar during his days in international cricket. The Little Master and the speedster had their fair share of moments on the field in the first decade of the millennium.
The pacer unleashed into the cricketing circuit with a Boxing Day Test debut against India at the MCG in 1999. He tore through the Indian batting unit with a five-wicket haul in his maiden innings.
While Australia won the contest convincingly, Sachin Tendulkar was adjudged as the Player of the Match. One of the duo's most memorable moments came in the CB Series in 2008, when Sachin drove Brett Lee down the ground three times in an over.
The magic Sachin drive.
MCG going insane.
"Lee going for the yorker....didn't miss the yorker by much.....Tendulkar didn't miss the middle of the bat either..."
151.4 km/hr
🏏 https://t.co/VIZBrsgnax
The rivalry, however, was not one-sided as the pacer managed to dismiss Tendulkar on 14 occasions over the course of his career.
Speaking on Shoaib Akhtar's YouTube channel, Brett Lee said:
"I hated bowling to Sachin, because he was just so good. Great technique. I always found it hard to face spin, so someone like Muralitharan would have to be the bowler I wouldn't want to face. He was tough to face, I could never pick him.
"I loved playing against fast bowlers. Jacques Kallis is the best all-rounder, no question. He is the best cricketer ever."
Lee went on to express his love for India, a nation where he has played cricket in national colors, partaken in the IPL, shot music videos and movies. He said:
"India's been brilliant to me, I've been so lucky. Playing in the subcontinent has been great, but I've spent most of my time in India because obviously there's a lot of opportunities over there. I want to come to Rawalpindi as well."
Lee won the 2006 Champions Trophy on Indian soil with Australia as well.
"If someone told me to bowl 24 balls and take a rest, I'd laugh at them" - Brett Lee
The former pacer also shared his opinion on the standards of fast bowling today. He noted how the bowlers are being overcoached and embedded in technology, which has caused a gradual decrease in raw pace bowling.
Brett Lee added:
"If I was a coach, I would get rid of the computer. Get them to work on their sprinting and bowl more. Bowlers are bowing way too less now. The theory that a bowler will not get injured if he bowls less is wrong, it's actually the opposite.
"You have to bowl more, strengthen the body, get used to running in and out. If someone told me to bowl 24 balls and take a rest, I'd laugh at them, but that's where we are now. Bowlers are becoming wrapped up in cotton wool too much."
Catching up with my friend @BrettLee_58 . The most in demand interview, people always asked me for this. Here he is, telling it all.
Pace, life, Pakistan & Indian Cricket. Enjoy & give feedback.
Tap here:
youtube.com/watch?v=DZwS3O… https://t.co/mIh5Sm4MgC
The 45-year-old holds the record for bowling one of the fastest deliveries in the history of the game. He, alongside the likes of Shoaib Akhtar and Shane Bond, set the standard for aggressive fast bowling in the early 2000s.