Australian cricket icon Brett Lee has paid a heartfelt tribute to fellow pace legend Dennis Lillee, crediting him with steering a career that has now been immortalised with induction into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.
A Fateful Meeting That Changed Everything
The journey for the man from the NSW south coast began with a childhood dream. At just nine years old, Lee had already set his sights on two goals: breaking the formidable 160km/h barrier and earning the coveted baggy green cap. However, it was a pivotal encounter as a teenager at a fast-bowling camp that truly shaped his destiny. "You're the quickest here, but if you don't change your (bowling) action, in two years I reckon you'll have a broken back," Lee, now 49, recalls Lillee telling him.
Like many confident 16-year-olds, Lee initially dismissed the sage advice. "When you're 16 you think you're invincible, and two years later I broke my back," he admitted. Recognising his raw talent, the then Australian Cricket Board urgently arranged for the young speedster to fly to Perth and work intensively with Lillee.
From Modified Action to Record-Breaking Pace
That collaboration proved transformative. "Throughout my whole career he's been incredible in modifying my action, changing my action and allowing me to play - I wouldn't say pain-free - but to get to the speeds I did," Lee stated. The technical adjustments paved the way for Lee to become one of the most fearsome and rapid bowlers the sport has ever witnessed.
His obsession with speed, inspired by idols like Lillee and the notoriously quick Jeff Thomson, drove him relentlessly. Lee famously treated the 160km/h mark like the four-minute mile for runners. He ultimately surpassed it, with his fastest international delivery clocking a blistering 161.1km/h. "I wanted to have a crack at that one day - and I was lucky to achieve it," Lee said of Thomson's record.
A Glittering Career Forged in Speed
Lee's refined action powered a remarkable international career spanning from 1999 to 2012. His statistics cement his legacy:
- 310 wickets in 76 Test matches, during a dominant era for Australian fast bowling.
- 380 wickets in 221 One-Day Internationals, making him one of the nation's greatest limited-overs bowlers.
- 28 wickets in 25 Twenty20 Internationals.
He was a key component of an all-conquering Australian side, contributing to ODI World Cup triumphs in 2003 and 2007, as well as multiple Ashes campaigns.
In a fitting tribute, Lee's Hall of Fame induction was unveiled on Sunday at the foot of Dennis Lillee's statue outside the Melbourne Cricket Ground, following a Boxing Day Test dominated by bowlers—a perfect homage to the fast-bowling mentorship that made it all possible.
