What's the one secret about bowler Brett Lee that no one knows?
"In the credits for the movie Babe, I've been listed as a pig handler. Did you know that?" he grins. And a quick check on the net confirms that - 'Pig handler: Brett Lee'. Which means that, apart from cricket, music, fashion and acting, Brett's also good with animals - or, at least, pigs.
Whether or not he loves pigs is a moot point, but he sure loves music. "I love rock music and now I like ballads as well. My choice of music depends on my mood. I could like classical on some days and jazz on others. I play everyday - at least the piano or the guitar - because I enjoy it. It's a stress buster. I don't worry about anything when I'm playing," he smiles. Brett also doesn't worry about what his son will grow up to be. "My son was in India when he was four months old. He's been to the Taj Mahal and I haven't, so he has one up on me. He is 20 months old now, growing fast. Hopefully, he'll be a cricketer one day and might beat me. He can do whatever he wants, actually," says Brett.
Brett does exactly what he wants, too. He's into fashion as well, for one. "I've always been involved with fashion. Style and sports has been a natural amalgamation for me since I was 17. It's very important that you project a good image on and off the field. I've been involved in menswear for some time now, and I enjoy it because it comes naturally to me," he says.
Movies are his new thing. He's recently shot for Victory with Harman Baweja, and says he loved the experience. "I do want to discuss the possibility of being a part of another Bollywood movie, but who knows what the future holds? I had a lot of fun doing Victory , and if that's my only Bollywood flick, I'd tell myself that not many cricketers can boast of both, playing cricket and doing a movie. I don't want to get to 40 and think, what if... I just want to go ahead and do things," he says. And he and Harman learnt from each other on the sets. "Harman improved quite a bit on his cricket while filming for the movie. He was the acting expert and I was the cricket expert, and we both had to do something that was diametrically opposite to our skills. So I was trying to teach him some shots and he was teaching me how to say my lines!"
But cricket remains Brett's first love, and achieving the 300-wicket mark has just reinforced that. "I want to try and play every single game for Australia. There was a time back in 2004, when, for 18 months, I was the 12th man and I could not play a match. So for me, to be on the other side, on the field, is a great high. The tag of Australia's number one bowler is something I love. I will just make sure that I am doing the right stuff because cricket is something that I cherish," he says. "I don't let pressure get to me. I'm going to play hard, tough, competitive cricket and enjoy myself."
- MANDVI SHARMA