Brett Lee's marriage had been "on the rocks" for at least six months as his bride Liz Kemp struggled to combine life as a young mum with playing the role of dutiful WAG, The Daily Telegraph can reveal.
After it emerged that Lee pulled out of the Bangladesh series due to the breakdown, sources close to the couple today told The Daily Telegraph that Kemp wasn't happy with her husband putting his international cricket career ahead of the family.
Kemp went from having her own successful career as a Double Bay podiatrist to joining the Wives and Girlfriends brigade, which consisted of either going on tour and sitting in the shadows or staying at home and missing her husband.
The source said Kemp lost her own sense of identity after quitting her job to "get married and have babies", being left to raise son Preston Charles while Lee travelled the world.
Lee went on tour shortly after the birth of his son Preston in 2006, missing key baby milestones like the first steps and leaving the new mum home alone.
While there is no question Lee was anything other than a devoted gushing father, proudly showing everyone pictures and video of his son, the couple really struggled with the transition into parenthood and the demands of his cricketing and Bollywood careers.
- JUSTIN VALLEJO