BRETT Lee has seized the mantle of Australia's greatest ever limited-overs fast bowler with his annihilation of the Proteas at the Telstra Dome on Friday night, says Jason Gillespie.
Lee captured a career-best 5-22 in Melbourne to spearhead Australia to a bruising 59-run win and a five-point break in the tri-series competition leading into their clash with Sri Lanka at the Sydney Cricket Ground today.
Bowling with wicked pace and control, Lee rocked the stumps of four of the Proteas' top seven batsmen, after he had removed the struggling captain and opener Graeme Smith, caught by his NSW teammate Brad Haddin.
Asked whether Lee could now be classified as the best paceman in world cricket, Gillespie, Lee's long-time bowling partner in Australia's Test and one-day teams, went a step further, praising the 29-year-old Wollongong-born quick as our greatest ever.
"He's been the best one-day bowler in the world for the past couple of years," Gillespie said. "He's very fast, he swings it, he's been brilliant and has good control now. He's nothing short of sensational at the moment.
"Brett and Glenn McGrath are two different types of bowlers. Glenn is fast-medium and hits the track hard. But, with his sheer pace and the way he's bowling at the moment, I'd say Brett's the best we've ever had."
Gillespie's opinion was backed by former international quick and bowling coach Damien Fleming, who said Lee had taken over McGrath's mantle as Ricky Ponting's "go-to man".
"I've never seen him bowl better," Fleming said yesterday.
"He hasn't lost any of his pace, but now he's bowling good areas consistently. The South African top order looked really hesitant against him the other night. They looked like they were trying first just to not get knocked over and hit runs second.
"Brett's the best white-ball bowler in the world, it's hard to think of anyone better. His run-up looks superb, he's got great rhythm, and once you have those things right everything else takes care of itself."
Fleming said he wasn't surprised that Lee had reached such heights.
"I remember being on the field when he played his first couple of Tests. He was very quick then and hit good areas. He surprised batsmen with his bouncers and yorkers. But then he went downhill a bit. So, the signs were there early.
"He seemed to go through that long road that a lot of bowlers go through before they reach their potential."
Lee has been through several dramas in his career, from issues with no-balls, beamers and injury, to questions over the legality of his action. For a long time there was confusion over whether he was in the team as an intimidator who should bowl at top pace, or slow down and bowl with more control.
He spent 18 months out of the Test team after taking match figures of 4-276 against India in January 2004, but returned for the Ashes series last year, in which he claimed 20 wickets. However, his limited-overs fortunes have been more consistent and last calendar year he claimed 51 wickets at an average of 19.94.
Gillespie, who has played 69 Tests and 97 one-dayers - mostly alongside Lee - said the blond-haired paceman was now reaping the benefits of hard work and application.
"That 18 months out of the Test team he used to continue developing his bowling," he said.
"That work has taken him to another level. He had two options back then - he could have spat the dummy or said 'Right, I'm going to work hard and keep developing', which is what he did.
"He trains his butt off and deserves all the success he's having at the moment."
- DAVID SYGALL