BANGALORE – Brett Lee may be the oldest member of Australia’s fast-bowling attack at the World Cup but for the 34-year-old speedster the sheer thrill of doing what he does best remains undimmed. “I’m still out to bowl fast,” he told reporters at Bangalore’s Chinnaswamy Stadium where Australia face Group A makeweights Kenya on Sunday. “I said about six months ago that if I couldn’t hit that 150 kph (93 mph) mark I wouldn’t want to be playing cricket, which is the truth. “I do thrive on speed. I enjoy the pace, I enjoy seeing the stumps fly. That’s the exciting part of cricket.” Lee retired from Tests last year following a run of injuries but remains an important member of the defending champions’ bowling unit at the World Cup with extensive experience of local conditions from previous tours and stints playing in the Indian Premier League.
“Over here on the subcontinental wickets, which aren’t really conducive to fast bowling, you have to learn to try a few more things and those types of change-ups,” he explained. “They’re the things that have definitely been helping me over the last six or seven months.” Australian captain Ricky Ponting recently said Lee was bowling “smarter” than ever and the veteran of 195 one-day internationals said it was a “lovely compliment”.
“To me, it’s about experience. When you first come on the scene and you’re 17 or 18 years of age and you’re playing in your early 20s for Australia, you’re pretty much thrown in the deep end. You don’t know what to expect. “Over time, you get to realise how things work and how you work as a player. I know my bowling better now than I ever have. It doesn’t mean that you’re going to go out there and get five wickets every single game, but you’re more likely to be a bit more cagey as a bowler now, a bit smarter.
“As batsmen are working on new shots, lap sweeps, reverse lap sweeps, we as bowlers have to be evolving as well, slower bumpers, wide-line yorkers, those type of things. It’s just about fine-tuning your trade and being a bit smarter when you bowl.” Lee has been largely economical in Australia’s three World Cup matches so far. Once the tearaway, he is expected to be a steadying influence in an attack also featuring the quick but volatile duo of Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson.
