Brett Lee has delivered a backhand to Steve Waugh's leadership by claiming he has become a more settled and successful bowler because new skipper Ricky Ponting has been able to better define the speedster's role.
As leader of Australia's attack in the absence of Glenn McGrath, Lee revealed he feels more comfortable at Test and one-day level since Ponting became captain two years ago.
Lee, 29, said yesterday he has finally come to grips with the balance he needs to strike between shock and stock bowler in order to make an impact.
Under Ponting, Lee has been employed as a strike weapon who operates in short spells and (with McGrath and Jason Gillespie out of the team) is given the new ball, which he is expected to swing.
And he attributed the breakthrough to the captaincy of Ponting, and the fact the skipper (along with vice-captain Adam Gilchrist) has been able to successfully communicate to the speedster the precise nature of what is expected of him.
"Generally speaking, the way that Ricky has captained, my personal bowling over the last couple of years has just been brilliant. I've been really happy with it," Lee said yesterday.
"Going back two or three years, I wasn't really sure what was going on as far as what they wanted me to do, run in and bowl fast or bowl seam up or try to reduce the pace a bit.
"The most important thing you need as a sportsman is to be clear on what you're actually doing. I can go into a match now knowing what my role is, what is expected of me.
"It is a lot clearer than it was three or four years ago, which has definitely helped my cricket.
"There's going to be times when I might be needed to bowl an eight-over spell and other times when I'm used for two-over spells. The opening spell might be a bit longer if there is a bit going on with the brand new ball."
Lee's nadir as a bowler came in Waugh's final Test against India at the SCG in 2004.
While the spotlight was on the former Test captain, his fast bowler was shunted into the shadows as he battled injury and returned match figures of 4-276, which led to him being exiled from Test cricket until last year's Ashes campaign.
But although Lee's view is his effectiveness has been greater and his role more clearly defined under Ponting's stewardship, statistics indicate there has been little change.
Under Waugh's captaincy, the fast bowler played 37 Tests and took 139 wickets (3.76 per match) at an average of 31.67 with a strike rate of a breakthrough every 53.09 deliveries and an economy rate of 3.58 runs per over.
Since Ponting took over in 2004, Lee has played 13 Tests for 58 wickets (4.46 per game) at an average of 31.03. His strike rate of 50.53 is marginally better, while his economy rate is slightly higher at 3.68 runs conceded per over.
His career average remains at 31.68 runs per wicket, and of bowlers to capture 100 Test wickets or more for Australia only team-mate Michael Kasprowicz (32.17) and former off-spinner Bruce Yardley (31.63) have done so at a higher average.
The team flew from Cape Town to Durban yesterday to prepare for the second Test of the three-match South Africa series which begins at Kingsmead on Friday.
While the Kingsmead pitch is expected to offer more to the seamer than the spinners, Lee claimed there was a possibility the world champions could employ the dual leg-spin line-up of Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill.
That would ensure Lee shared the new ball with last week's Test hero Stuart Clark, who claimed nine wickets on debut.
Having experienced a similarly heady arrival into Test ranks (when he grabbed 26 wickets in his first five Tests), Lee is perfectly placed to pass on advice to Clark as to how much tougher the road becomes once Test batsmen get an idea of a bowler's methods.
"Don't change anything, keep doing what he does best," Lee said his advice to Clark would be.
- ANDREW RAMSEY