Australians bank on Brett Lee phenomenon

By G. Viswanath

SYDNEY, FEB. 3. Brett Lee is the most deserving winner of the Sir Donald Bradman Award this season. The special award has been instituted by the Sir Donald Bradman Trust. It distinguishes the winner from the rest as the most promising young talent in Australia. It is not known if there was another candidate for the award. But there was a sense of happiness when Lee's name was announced by Ian Craig, Australia's former captain at the Allan Border Medal Nite at Melbourne's Crown Casino last week. Lee appeared to have been surprised when his name was announced, but those who have been following his development and success this summer said: ``the special prize was always going to the young fast bowler from New South Wales.''

There was so much hype built around him before he was presented the `Baggy Green' in the second Test against India and Melbourne. Australia's captain Steve Waugh himself was responsible for making a tactical statement long before the Indians arrived in Australia for the three-Test series.

He said Lee was the fastest bowler in the world when Pakistan's Shoiab Akhtar was striving hard for pace and prove that he is the fastest. By acknowledging Lee's talent and prowess Steve Waugh was only preparing the 23-year-old for the series against India.

Lee was picked ahead of the experienced Damien Fleming for the first final of the Carlton & United Series. The decision was made by Steve Waugh. Lee went wicketless in the first two one-day internationals against Pakistan at Brisbane and against India at Melbourne. His figures were 10-1-39-0 against Pakistan and 10-0- 49-0 against India where Sourav Ganguly scored a century.

He got a wicket each in the nest two matches against India and Pakistan. But he did not figure in Australia's XI that played Pakistan at Sydney. Australia had won three matches and Steve thought it was time to rotate the bowlers so that every one in the team gets an opportunity.

The Australian selectors retained the same squad for the last four matches of the tri-series on Wednesday.. Lee appeared again in the eleven and made an immediate impact. He took two wickets against Pakistan, but at Adelaide Lee bowled his best ever spell in limited over internationals and took five wickets against India, the first of which was captain Tendulkar. Lee rounded off the Australia Day celebrations rattling the stumps of a couple of Indian batsmen.

Fleming, who had bowled a gem of delivery to bowl Tendulkar at Perth, must have been disappointed. He had taken only five wickets, which was half of Lee's count. On the eve of the final Steve said only Glenn McGrath was a certainty and that one of the two - Lee or Fleming - will be dropped. But he had decided to give Lee another big stage to prove his mettle. And the fast bowler responded to the situation taking three wickets even as McGrath had cracked the nerves of the Pakistan batsmen facing him and in the dressing room.

This has been Lee's summer altogether. There might have been some gusty batting performances by Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist, but it was the young fast bowler who caused all the excitement when he took five wickets in the first innings of his first Test at Melbourne.

Dennis Lillee spoke to him before the match and told him `Just lap it up.' Australia's greatest new ball bowler since the war, Lillee first met Lee when he was 15. And eight years later he has predicted a long career should he manage to keep himself fit.

The good thing about Lee is that he has the passion to bowl fast and see the stumps flying. ``I think that's my job,'' he said after his five wicket haul against the Indians at the Adelaide Oval. Another good thing about Lee is that he knows to exult, leaping in the air and showing a fist of fury. It was a picture of his ebullient celebration that was presented to him as an award by the Australian Cricket Media Association.

Lee did not arrive into the scene early or late. After England's defeat against South Africa, one of the greatest allrounder Ian Botham told David Gower on Sky TV that England's County Clubs should pick the 16, 17 and 18-year olds in their first XI and not make them languish in the seconds and waste their time and that the most talented should be given the England cap. Botham was citing the Indian and Pakistan example. But the Australians have their own routine which is grooming the young talents in the Australian Institute of Sports Commonwealth Cricket Academy, making them go through the hard grind in their first class cricket and readying them for the big occasion depending their progress. Shane Warne was the first spinner to come out of this system and now Lee has appeared as a fast bowler.

Steve gave weightage to Lee's sheer pace and ability to bowl fast and straight for the first final at Melbourne. ``Damien was very unlucky. He has won so many matches and he will play a lot more for Australia. It's just than one of them had to be out,'' said the Australian captain. Lee took the wicket of Saeed Anwar, Yousuf Youhana and Saqlain Mushtaq, bowling 50 balls and conceding just 18 runs, which has only improved his average which was 25.10 before the match at Melbourne on Wednesday. ``I would like to bowl with Lee.'' said Man of the Match, McGrath.

His three wickets took his tally to 13 from eight matches as against his 26 year old elder brother Shane who had 16 before the first show down against Pakistan. Like McGrath and Warne, Lee who first impressed playing against India `A' at Los Angeles, has proved to be a match winner. And at present it seems Australia has riches to squander. Lee has been bowling consistently at a speed in excess of 148 kmp. What has made him a dangerous proposition is that he is accurate, too.

Pakistan's captain, Wasim Akram praised the Australian cricket system without going into specifics. ``It's their system that creates so many good cricketers. In Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka it's very different. Before the final he had said that,'' We will fight till the end. They (Australia) are scared of us. We want Australia to play under pressure.'' He looked utterly disappointed after the defeat.

His counterpart, Steve said, ``The World Cup final was the ultimate. We would like to be consistent and appear as an intimidating side. The other teams should get such a feeling that they would not want to play us. Like the West Indies team of the 1980s. Our goal is very clear.'' Australia called all the shots at Melbourne. They want to make it 2-0 at the SCG on Friday.

The teams:

Australia (from) Steve Waugh (Captain), Adam Gilchrist, Mark Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Michael Bevan, Andrew Symonds, Damien Martyn, Shane Warne, Shane Lee, Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Damien Fleming, Ian Harvey

Pakistan (from) Wasim Akram (Captain), Saeed Anwar, Shahid Afridi, Ijaz Ahmed, Inzamam-Ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana, Azhar Mahmood, Moin Khan, Saqlain Mushtaq, Shoiab Akhtar, Mohammad Wasim, Wajahatullah Wasti, Abdur Razzaq, Shoiab Malik, Waqar Younis.

Umpires: Messrs: Steve Davis and Simon Taufel; Match Referee: Mr. Cammie Smith

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