Brett Lee has admitted he is champing at the bit to take on his fellow Australians in the Indian Premier League.
Lee has been selected to play for the Kings XI Punjab and he is eager to get under the skin of Matthew Hayden and Mike Hussey when his side face the Chennai Super Kings on Saturday.
"The IPL is exciting to say the least – with the Indian crowds and the big profile of the tournament," said Lee.
"We're taking on Matthew Hayden and Mike Hussey in our first game and that will be interesting.
"It's definitely going to be strange, but I'm looking forward to it. I'm used to doing my research on players from other countries.
"But these are guys are obviously class acts and I'll going out and treating them like any other batsman."
There have been suggestions that the players will not be fully committed to the cause due to the structure of the competition, but Lee insists focus will not be a concern.
He added: "I'm contracted to a side here and I'll be trying my heart out like it was a game for Australia.
"So if a bouncer or a yorker is needed to take a wicket, then I have no worries about sending one down."
- ALEX LIVIE