Sydney: Shoaib Akhtar does not want to be lonely on the fastest strip in the world — the Western Australia Cricket Association ground at Perth where Pakistan and Australia are slated for a Test clash on December 16.
And Australia’s pace ace Brett Lee is the one he wants as company. The New South Welshman has not played a Test for 10 months. His last appearance came against India in Sydney last January.
And the manner in which Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz have demolished the opposition, it will take a miracle for Lee to be picked in the eleven against New Zealand at Adelaide.
“It’s a fantastic place for bowlers of our kind. I think Brett should look at Glenn McGrath to learn how to get back in a team after injury,” said Shoaib in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Lee loves bowling at the WACA and his figures provide good reason - 24 wickets in four Tests there “There is no doubt he will get back to the top again, and it would be nice if that was for Perth,” Shoaib was quoted as saying.
The Pakistan pace ace is a great Glenn McGrath. “I rate Glenn as probably the second best I’ve seen, between Malcolm Marshall and Wasim Akram. Everybody wrote him off and said that at his age, he would never come back. Now look at him. That’s a good lesson for Brett.”
Lee is backing himself for the Perth Test. “I’d like to think I was a big option for Perth, if the selectors are looking to change things up a bit or even go with a four-prong pace attack.
“The ING Cup match (against Victoria) was the fastest I’ve bowled in a long time and it gave me plenty of confidence. But I’ve still only played a handful of matches and I’d obviously like to be playing a lot more cricket. I just have to try and stay patient.”
That’s straight out the McGrath book of fast bowling.