Former Australian pacer Brett Lee turns 44 on Sunday (November 8) and birthday wishes are pouring in for him from all around the world. Regarded as one of the fastest bowlers ever, Lee was nothing short of a nightmare for batsmen in his playing days. Along with raw pace, the right-arm speedster had terrific control over the ball, which made him a captain’s delight. Be it swinging the new ball, unsettling batsmen with a barrage of bouncers or nailing yorkers at will; Lee had many weapons in his armoury which made him a vital cog of the mighty Australian team in the 2000s. Brett Lee Pays Tribute to Shane Watson, Slams ‘Keyboard Warriors’ for Doubting CSK Star.

Making his international debut in 1999, Lee burst onto the scenes straightaway – scalping a five-wicket haul against India in his maiden Test appearance. There was no looking back for Lee since then as he delivered one breath-taking spell after another, guiding Australia to numerous victories. Mental grit was one of Lee’s biggest strength as not many batsmen were able to get under his skin. Even if he went for runs in odd days, he backed himself to make a comeback in the second spell. Alongside his bowling prowess, Lee also was a handy batsman lower down the order who played several significant knocks. As the talisman turns a year older, let’s look at some of his quick facts and records. Times When Brett Lee Knocked Out Batsmen With Vicious Bouncers.

Brett Lee Quick Facts & Records:

  1. Brett Lee was born on November 8, 1976, in New South Wales, Australia.

  2. Lee took a five-for against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1999.

  3. Brett Lee won the inaugural Don Bradman young player of the year award for his sensational performances in 1999-2000 season.

  4. With 22 wickets from 10 games, the right-arm pacer was the second-highest wicket-taker of ICC Cricket World Cup 2003.

  5. Lee became the first-ever bowler to claim a T20I hat-trick, achieving the feat against Bangladesh in 2007.

  6. He is ranked eighth in the list of leading wicket-takers in ODIs with 380 wickets.

  7. Lee is one of the only seven bowlers to have more than 350 wickets in both Tests, and ODIs.

  8. Brett Lee is a part of the rock band Six and Out, which comprises of former Australian cricketer and also his brother, Shane Lee.

  9. He was the part of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad which lifted the 2012 Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy.

  10. Brett Lee made his acting debut in the 2015 Indo-Australian film “Unindian.”

Lee bid farewell to all forms of cricket in 2014 as many batsmen all around the world took a breather. Since then, he has been an active commentator who gave his voice in several matches. As of now, the legendary pacer is a part of commentary panel for Dream11 Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 08, 2020 08:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).