“Ricky Ponting has been a wonderful teammate, he has been a great ambassador for the game and a brilliant cricketer, almost akin to Sachin Tendulkar,” Lee said.

“In his press conference on Tuesday morning, he said that he doesn’t expect to play one-day cricket ever again. So I think that he has got that through his mind that he will not get a chance to play in ODIs anymore.

“In the end, it comes down to the selection panel to see what they want to do, and I know he understands fully, as he said in his press conference, that he doesn’t expect to play the 50-over format ever again. That said, he can now focus solely on playing in the longer form of the game,” Lee told CastrolCricket.com, a media release said.

He said the two-time World Cup-winning Australian skipper would be sorely missed in the team’s camp and also pointed out the oddity that he was stand-in captain in one game (the previous one played by Australia against India at Brisbane on Sunday) and out of ODI cricket in the next.

“Ricky is obviously going to be sorely missed in the Australian camp. The dressing room will seem quiet and empty now without him. It’s quite a weird feeling actually to think that he won’t be around in one day cricket, because he has always been there. He would never really get injured, so it is going to be strange without him.

“He added a lot of value to the team both as player and captain. Even though Michael Clarke had taken over captaincy recently, Punter always offered a lot of inputs about the way the team was and ways of getting batsmen out. He was a big team player and he was always there for the young guys coming in the team, and that will surely be missed,” Lee said.

“It was fitting that he was the stand-in captain in his last match though it’s quite strange that you captain in one game and then not play in the next. That is not something that normally happens,” said Lee.

Lee rated the 37-year-old’s magnificent, match-winning 140 against India in the final of the 2003 World Cup at the Wanderers in Johannesburg as one of the finest innings the Tasmanian had played in his long and illustrious career.

“I have been playing with Ricky for almost 13 years now in the Australian side, and I have witnessed some of his best Test and ODI hundreds. But one of my favorite moments with Ricky has got to be the finals of the 2003 World Cup which we won.

“The game that he played under pressure, scoring 140 not out, when we needed the runs was fantastic. We needed someone to lead from the front and he did that as captain. I believe that is one the finest innings he has ever played,” Lee declared.

“Ricky has been an absolute legend. He is the type of guy who will go down in cricket history as one of the greatest players to have ever graced the game, a guy that has always led from the front,” the seasoned Aussie paceman added.

Source: Press Trust of India – February 21, 2012

It’s a routine that Australia’s ageing fast bowler has now got quite used to, as he joined the store long before he started his international career. But the customers — usually the first-timers — are far from being used to having one of the world’s most recognisable cricketing faces tend to their clothing needs. In the background, Richard Bowman and Melissa Allan — the joint owners of the store — try not to chuckle.

They have watched Lee grow up trading fabrics as fluently as he does bouncers in the world of cricket. But over the last decade or so, ever since he hurled down his first over in Test cricket against the Indians in 1999, Bowman and Allan have witnessed, with pride, Lee dealing with fame better than anyone else in his position could possibly have.

Unlike most of his team-mates from the Australian side or any of his sports colleagues in other parts of the world, Lee works at the store, earning his livelihood, when he is not touring or playing domestic matches for New South Wales. Sometimes, however, the dual lives cross over, with Lee working shifts during an ongoing international series — like a day before he underwent his fitness test to rejoin the Australia squad for the tri-series.

But right throughout, despite his highs and lows on the cricket field, the salesman’s job has been a reassuring constant in Lee’s life. And it all began on the day when he walked into the store in 1996 to get his blazer stitched by Bowman for the Under-19 tour to India. “When I went to measure them, most of the boys grabbed the clothing and threw it back at me. Only one of those 22 lads was very gracious. He said, ‘thank you very much sir,’ as he wore his blazer, returned the cloth carefully and introduced himself. ‘That was very kind of you sir, my name is Brett Lee,’ he said,” recalls Bowman.

The politeness won Bowman over. And very soon, as Lee describes in his autobiography My Life, he got his first job offer. “Not long after I finished school, I received a phone call from Richard Bowman. I remembered him straightaway because he’d fitted up the Australian Under-19 team for our tour of India. ‘I’m looking to hire a suit salesman and thought you might be interested,’ Richard said,” writes Lee in a book that finds space below his personal label at the store.

From working in a store to owning his own label — Brett Lee by Barclays — Lee has come a long way. But despite his name hanging on the suits, Lee continues to do every job that he did as a fresh-faced teenager all those years ago. “This job, as Brett always tells his friends, gave him significance outside of sport when he was just a kid, and helped him keep his feet on the ground. Even more so once he became a popular figure,” says Bowman.

Allan adds, “But that’s just the way Brett is. Always excited, always down to earth. He doesn’t have that superstar image about him. He continues to show us all how great it is to be an average Australian guy.”

So how good is Lee as a salesman? Bowman laughs. “He is authentic. Most people who walk into this store don’t even watch cricket. Yet, he can make a good sale on just recommendations. He doesn’t have to push for it. You have to be really good to make sales on recommendations, and Brett can do that. He’s a natural,” he says.

Lee writes: “Richard and Melissa, they taught me all the basics about sizes, fitting, fabrics, and sales techniques. Richard was supportive, he said I could have all the time off I needed to pursue my cricket career. I had found a fantastic job with a family-like atmosphere. I couldn’t believe my luck.”

For his co-workers, Lee is just a member of the family. Nothing more, nothing less. “When we hired Brett, we didn’t know that he would go on to become a big superstar. Nothing has changed with his celebrity status,” says Bowman. “He continues to measure, sell, cut fabrics, crunch numbers and also work in the back office with the same humility as the boy who walked into this store so many years back.”

Source: Express India – February 19, 2012 | ADIYA IYER

The 35-year-old has already opened five music centres through his foundation, Mewsic, and told The Sun-Herald he dreamt of the day when there were 100 such schools throughout India.

“I want to help get the children out of the dumping grounds, the places we call dumps or tips in Australia, and to get them in an environment where they can sing, dance and learn to play music,” Lee said.

“The centres hold between 75 to 100 children. They attend three times a week and are given food, water and the lessons. Hopefully, it will lead to education for them. We get them out of the dumping grounds into the music centre and hopefully it’s school from there.”

The fast bowler said he’d been moved by the plight of the children who made two rupees a day – that’s less than 4¢ – by trawling through the rubbish for recyclable items that can be sold by their “employers”.

“You can look at it a couple of ways,” he said of his desire to help. “One is that these kids don’t know any different, but I don’t see that as a reason to not try and make a difference. I’m not OK with that. I want to help give them a life because I can see no reason why … a child from the dumping grounds can’t have a chance.”

Lee, who has made 53 trips to India, said music was the perfect vehicle to help the children. “It transcends culture and class, and the healing qualities of music are great. It doesn’t matter what you look like, where you come from, what you have or don’t have, music is something that breaks down barriers.”

On Saturday night, Lee and his former Test skipper Steve Waugh, whose foundation helps children with rare diseases, will host “An Indian Summer in Sydney” to raise funds for their endeavours.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald – February 19, 2012 | DANIEL LANE

Lee was expected to miss the rest of the summer when he broke the little toe on his right foot after stopping a powerful shot by M.S. Dhoni during Australia’s Twenty20 loss to India in Melbourne.

However, he told The Sun-Herald he expected his playing at the SCG would come down to his pain threshold.

“The way I explain it is by saying there is a crack in the toe,” Lee said. “It’s fractured, but I’m told if you’re going to have that happen to you the little toe is the best one to break.

“I’m striving to be back for the game in Sydney, I’m doing everything I possibly can to play. I’ve [played with pain] on numerous occasions and I know I can play with a broken toe.

“People asked how I played with my toe split in half at the MCG, but you do these things when you play for your country. In terms of [my] pain threshold I’ve played a lot of games in pain … the reason I took time off was to ensure there wasn’t any long-term damage to the toe.”

The 35-year-old said he would not hold back.

“There was a ball in I delivered in the Twenty20 [in Melbourne] which may’ve surprised a lot of people because I think some of them didn’t believe I could break 150km/h at my age.

”To hit 151 or 152 or whatever it felt great,” Lee said.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald – February 12, 2012 | DANIEL LANE

It was feared Lee would be sidelined for six weeks and not available until the tour of the West Indies. But after meeting with a Sydney surgeon, Lee received some positive news. Australian team doctor Trefor James and physio Alex Kountouris will now meet to discuss Lee’s recovery. Selectors will gather in Adelaide after Sunday’s third ODI against Sri Lanka and decide there if they rush him back or give him a freshen-up ahead of the Caribbean tour.

Source: The Daily Telegraph – February 8, 2012 | CHRISTIAN NICOLUSSI

The 35-year-old’s horror stretch of injuries continued when struck by a ball during Australia’s Twenty20 loss to India on Friday night.

The veteran quick joins fellow speedsters James Pattinson (foot), Patrick Cummins (heel) and Mitchell Johnson (foot) on the sidelines.

Lee was hit by a ball in the last over of his bowling spell in the T20 fixture.

X-rays revealed a broken little toe on his right foot which will sideline him for up to six weeks, Cricket Australia doctor Trefor James said yesterday.

“He was able to complete the over, however the foot became more painful and swollen the following day,” James said in a statement.

“An X-ray has confirmed a fracture of the small toe and we now expect Brett will return to cricket in four to six weeks.”

Australian selectors will meet later to decide a replacement in Australia’s squad for the tri-series against India and Sri Lanka.

Lee’s injury is the latest in a string of ailments keeping the fast bowler off the field.

The New South Welshman was sent home from Australia’s tour of South Africa last October when it was discovered he needed surgery for appendicitis after arriving in the country.

Lee quit Test cricket in 2010 because of persistent elbow problems, which first surfaced in 2001 and required surgery.

The express bowler also suffered a broken foot in 2008 and missed the following year’s Ashes series with a side strain, while his international career started in 1999 after recovering from stress fractures to his back.

Source: Adelaide Now – February 5, 2012 | STEVE LARKIN

The 35-year-old sustained the injury when he was struck by a ball during Australia’s eight-wicket defeat to India at the MCG on Friday night.

Lee is set to miss up to six weeks meaning he will be sidelined for the series against India and Sri Lanka, which begins in Melbourne tomorrow.

“Brett Lee sustained a fracture of his right foot when he was struck by a ball in the last over of his spell during the KFC T20 against India at the MCG on Friday night,” Cricket Australia team doctor Trefor James said in a statement.

“He was able to complete the over, however the foot became more painful and swollen the following day.

“An x-ray has confirmed a fracture of the small toe and we now expect Brett will return to cricket in four-six weeks.”

The injury is the latest injury blow to sideline the veteran quick.

Lee missed the tour of South Africa in October after it was discovered he needed surgery for an appendicitis after arriving in the country.

Lee retired from Test cricket in 2010 due to persistent elbow problems, and his latest complaint is likely to put the focus on his international future following a summer in which Australia have unearthed a new generation of young fast bowlers.

A squad replacement for Lee will be named after Australia’s opening match of the series against India on Sunday.

Source: SkySports – February 4, 2012

India were blanked 0-4 in Tests and have also lost the first of the two Twenty20s as well. Lee said given the seemingly low morale of the visitors, the Aussies would continue to come hard at them.

“I do think the momentum does get carry through, the mental edge as well. The way the Test players played, which is why it’s so important for us to try and win, so come Sunday night, even though we are not playing against India, we get a great roll on from Twenty20 into one-day matches,” said Lee ahead of second Twenty20 international at the MCG on Friday.

“Everyone wants a clean sweep. We want to make sure India doesn’t go on board this Australian summer,” said Lee, who started the rot in Indian innings in Sydney the other night by claiming a wretched Virender Sehwag in his very first over.

Ominously, Lee opined his Twenty20 side wasn’t perfect in Sydney. “We didn’t play the perfect game the other night. There were a few things which were scratchy, I think due to weather and the circumstances.

Lee, who has retired from Test cricket after picking up 310 wickets from 76 matches at 30.81 average, is now a force to reckon with in ODIs and T20s having claimed 357 and 23 wickets at averages of 22.89 and 27.69 respectively.

Lee said the hosts’ Twenty20 side is still finding its feet in international arena. “It was a great win for us. A chance for us to find ourselves as a team as well. There are heaps and heaps of new guys at the same place, at the same time.”

Australia have made a clear distinction between Test and Twenty20 sides. There is only David Warner from the Test arena who is featuring in a Twenty20 XI. India, on the other hand, had six players from the Test squad in the first Twenty20 game.

“I don’t believe you need to have three different teams for three different formats of the game.

“If the 12 Test players are all good enough to play Twenty20 cricket, well then choose them! What we have seen in the last few years is that there are specifically guys we’ve got for Twenty20 cricket,” he said.

Lee also gave a positive spin to continuing calls for the retirement of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman from the Indian team.

“When you have a guy like Sachin Tendulkar, I would have him in my team every single day to what he could offer to the players, what he brings to the crowd. His stature is phenomenal. So him and Dravid, it obviously comes down to when they feel it’s time to move on.

“We have seen Sachin Tendulkar score 70s in this series so he is still in good form. People expect him to score 100s but he is still averaging in 50s.”

Lee believed India would be desperate to turn things around and arrest the continuous downward slide of the team.

“When you lose 4-0 as India has, it obviously is devastating. They would want to try and take energy out of this Twenty20 matches to make sure they can somehow get on the board. Everyone of us would try to stop it obviously.”

While everyone is criticising the Indians, Lee argued credit must also be given to the Australians for keeping the visitors under the pump.

“India have not played their best cricket but Australian bowlers have bowled very well too. We had guys who have made big hundreds too, like 300 by Michael Clarke and 200 by Ricky Ponting.

“It wasn’t as if India played their worst cricket and were totally done in. I think Australia made very good effort, planned extremely well,” Lee said.

George Bailey as a rookie T20 captain and a side predominantly spin-oriented which Australia fielded in Sydney the other night, is still being debated upon in cricket circles.

“George (Bailey) was very good. Look, you have to start somewhere. There’s a lot said about him playing his first match as captain but everyone has to make debut at some stage.

“I was very pleased by the way he captained. Once the first ball is bowled, he’s in charge. We try and back him up. As for only fast bowler (in the Sydney game), well James Faulkner also bowls in mid 140s. He is a classy paceman as well.

“It actually depends on what surface you’re playing on. It depends on the conditions which are thrown at you,” Lee said.

It didn’t escape the affable pacer to praise the role of coach Mickey Arthur in Australia’s revival.

“He has done a good job as coach. He’s made sure the guys were in the right frame of mind. Arthur’s knowledge is second to none, he is a respected coach around the world, he’s done a great job. He actually is working to push us to the next level.”

Lee has great ties with India where he does commercials and has been a regular in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since it’s inception.

“I love playing in India. Obviously, it’s a very close to my heart, travelling to India, but we would make sure we go out tonight and play as hard as we possibly can.”

Source: PTI – February 3, 2012

At an age when most fast bowlers have either retired or have their bodies in disrepair, Lee has reinvented his once one-dimensional game to the point where he is now widely considered to be one of the best Twenty20 bowlers in the world.

Stuart Clark, who assembled the Sydney Sixers’ Big Bash champion list from scratch, says Lee is the ”complete Twenty20 bowler”, while tonight’s captains, Bailey and M.S. Dhoni, both rate the veteran speedster highly.

With 62 wickets at 31 and an economy rate of 7.24 runs an over, such praise appears over the top. But those numbers do not take into consideration at what stage Lee bowls.

Invariably, Lee takes the new ball when fielding restrictions apply and returns in the final overs when batsmen are swinging hard to clear the pickets. His nerveless bowling at the death delivered the Sixers two final-over victories, over Melbourne Stars and Perth Scorchers, which were vital in the Sydney franchise qualifying for the finals on their road to the title.

”It makes you invaluable if you can do it and do it well. I think he does it as well as anyone in the country,” Clark said.

”When Brett first came into international cricket he was an out and out fast bowler, a lightning fast bowler, but as he’s gotten older he’s added more strings to his bow, he bowls better yorkers, he’s added slower balls, slower ball bumper, he’s the complete Twenty20 bowler.

”He might be a bit older and not as quick as he used to be but he was very important for our team.”

Clark rates Lee alongside Sri Lankan slinger Lasith Malinga as the two best Twenty20 bowlers in the world.

Remarkably, Lee is rated a lowly 32nd in the ICC’s official Twenty20 rankings for bowlers.

Cricket NSW boss David Gilbert watched Lee play a pivotal part in the Blues’ Champions League triumph in 2009 when the blond paceman was named player of the final and the tournament.

”It’s hard to think of another fast bowler in T20 who has as much of an impact,” Gilbert said.

All that is music to Bailey’s ears as he joins Dave Gregory as the only Australians to captain the country in their first match. That Gregory captained Australia in the first Test ever played underscores the rarity of Bailey’s achievement.

Bailey rates Lee as among the best bowlers in the Twenty20 game.

”His experience is going to be really important and something that we’ll tap into,” he said.

”His numbers in the Big Bash were outstanding for someone who bowls in the key periods at the top, in that powerplay, and also at the death.

”I think Lee embraces that role as the frontline leading fast bowler in our team and his experience is outstanding. The thing I love about him is just how competitive he is. He loves the contest and loves to lead from the front.”

Dhoni is no stranger to Lee’s skills, having kept close tabs on the Australian’s efforts with the ball in the Indian Premier League.

”He’s a very good bowler with plenty of experience,” Dhoni said.

”Don’t forget he’s someone who always keeps experimenting with his bowling, always tries to come up with deliveries that could help him contain the batsmen, especially in the extra short format that is Twenty20.

”It really helps to have bowlers that can bowl quick but at the same time have variations when needed.”

Bailey said quickly understanding the nuances of his bowlers’ game and needs would be vital to his captaincy tonight.

”My personal feeling with T20 is just to prepare really meticulously and though it’s a really short game you’ve got to have plans A, B and C up your sleeve and not be suddenly standing in the middle scratching your head wondering what am I going to do now,” he said.

”A really key part of that is to get to know the bowlers. I’m lucky to have played with three or four of them and know their games really well. There’s a couple I’m still learning but that’s the real exciting part of it.”

Source: Sydney Morning Herald – February 1, 2012 | ANDREW WU

As the 35-year-old leads Australia’s pace attack tonight against India at ANZ Stadium, Lee said he couldn’t wait for the jam-packed calendar that awaited him both here and abroad.

Once the two T20s are completed against India, Lee will play eight ODIs against India and Sri Lanka – not to mention two finals should Australia continue their winning ways – then head to the Caribbean for two T20s and five ODIs.

The IPL, a one-day tour of England and the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka are also on the cards should Lee stay fit.

All this for a man who continues to bowl with a smile on his face, celebrates wickets like a 21-year-old and consistently nudges 150km/h.

“I’m enjoying cricket, full stop, and I really want to encourage the other guys,” Lee said.

“Every time I walk out on to the field it’s a real pleasure, and that’s the way I feel at the moment – it’s like I’ve got a new lease of life and I’m in a very good place in this point of time.”

Lee has had plenty of injury setbacks during his lengthy career, and even missed the start of the summer because of an appendix operation.

But he rolled back the clock to help Sydney Sixers become inaugural Big Bash League champions, and as a result made sure he was one of the first picked for Australia’s limited-overs campaign this summer.

Lee said it was only now he was starting to hit top speed.

“I still don’t feel like I’m blowing a gasket when I’m bowling, which is a good thing,” Lee said.

“I want to be hitting 150km/h consistently at 90 per cent, I’m hitting about 147km/h, so to me that’s exactly where I want to be. Hopefully over the next couple of weeks I can get quicker.

“It will be different playing against India. The sub-continent players are a lot more wristy, and that’s a different aspect as bowlers we have to deal with, compared to the BBL.

“You’ll see a different side to what played in the Test matches. There’s a bit more freedom here given the nature of the game, and that might suit their style of cricket.”

Skipper George Bailey said of his spearhead: “The thing I love about him is how competitive he is, he loves a contest and is competitive from the front.

“His numbers in the BBL were outstanding, particularly for someone who bowls in key periods, at the top when there’s the power play, and at the death. He embraces the role as a front-line bowler.”

Source: Fox Sports – February 1, 2012 | CHRISTIAN NICOLUSSI