MUMBAI: Brett Lee has taken his Test omission “personally,” vowed to get back into the Australian team and revealed the most bizarre fitness session ever undertaken by a group of cricketers: running laps of the 2km Bangalore horse racing track.
It wouldnt happen at Randwick.
Unlikely to play any of the four Tests against India and starved of cricket following ankle surgery earlier this year, Lee said yesterday he would still rather be on the sub-continent working on his game than returning home to play for NSW.
“To not be chosen, Ive taken it pretty personally,” Lee, whose most recent Test was against India at the SCG in January, said.
“Ive sat down with the selectors and asked them why, and what I can do to get back in.
“I want to know answers and I want to know ways to do that.
“Its a challenge and I love a challenge I find it very hard to do something half-hearted.
“They said: Youre not far away just keep working really hard. Im just really giving myself every opportunity to be as fit as I can, so if I get that opportunity I want to make sure Im ready.”
The race track at Bangalore was cleared of horses for an hour on day two of the first Test so fitness coach Jock Campbell could put his own three-man field through their paces.
Reserves Lee, Brad Hodge and Cameron White did three laps in muddy conditions while slightly bemused jockeys, trainers and club members looked on.
“It was quite weird,” Lee said.
“You could get Jock to ring up and say: Can you stop trackwork for an hour so we can train?
“Can you imagine it happening at Randwick racecourse? The course was 2km long so we did three laps in the midday heat.”
Campbell said they went to the track because the players were sick of riding bikes in the gymnasium.
“Brett is like a caged rhino at the moment,” Campbell said.
“He just really wants it.”