BRETT LEE

[mal]

SUNDAY MAIL 07/01/07

LEE HAS TO STEP UP,SAY LEGENDS.
Peter Badel
in Sydney

Former test quicks urged Brett Lee to improve his average or forget about succeeding Glenn Mcgrath as Australias next spearhead.
Lee finished the ashes series with 20 wickets at a respectable ave of 33.20 but Jeff Thompson and Damien Fleming insist Australias fastest bowler must do better to fill the void left by Mcgrath
...."If Bretts a spearhead he cant be averaging over 30 with the ball." said Fleming."......
"History shows the great bowlers and the best spearheads average at least under 25"
"But what Brett must do from now on is ave under 25."........

His career ave of 31.60 has prompted critics to suggest he lacks the consistency, if not pace, to become the cornerstone of Australias bowling attack.
" I dont think Brett Lee has convinced anybody" Jeff Thompson said.
" Hes got to up the ante now. He needs to bowl more quality, he has to bowl the way he bowled in the first and second innings of this[5th test v Eng.]"
" Coming into this test he was averaging nearly 40."
" Thats not good enough." he just bowls too many balls that are non effective. Stuart Clark has come into test cricket and bowled him off a break he bowls better quality.....

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That article mirrors exactly what MOST people have posted about Lee on this thread.
We can not use the excuse that Warnnnnnney and OOOOOh Ahhhh have pinched all the wickets from Lee, it didnt stop Clark[17 ave] and Gillespie[26 ave]
If anything using the Gillespie/Clark averages Lees average should have benefitted.

[Aerie]

That article mirrors exactly what MOST people have posted about Lee on this thread.
We can not use the excuse that Warnnnnnney and OOOOOh Ahhhh have pinched all the wickets from Lee, it didnt stop Clark[17 ave] and Gillespie[26 ave]
If anything using the Gillespie/Clark averages Lees average should have benefitted.

Lee is a strike bowler and his strike rate is only behind McGrath and Clark from all our pacemen in the past 10 years or so. With the pace he bowls and his role in the team there are sure to be more runs conceded. He has done well and has lead the attack since the Ashes in '05 in one of the most successful periods in Australian cricket history. His lower order batting is also a bonus which makes him a valuable member of the team.

It will be interesting to see how he handles Father Time and whether his bowling improves with age or if a loss of pace will see him quietly exit Test cricket as many pace bowlers have before him.

Lee Ave 31.60 SR 53.15
Bichel Ave 32.24 SR 57.51
Kasprowicz Ave 32.88 SR 63.18
Gillespie Ave 26.13 SR 54.95
McGrath Ave 21.64 SR 51.95
Clark Ave 17.80 SR 43.97
McDermott Ave 28.63 SR 56.99
Fleming Ave 25.89 SR 55.05
Reiffel Ave 26.96 SR 61.56
Hughes Ave 28.38 SR 57.94

[blink]

Excellent post there Aerie. You have summed it up well.

Lee is there to take wickets - and he has done better than all of those other bowlers bar McGrath, Clark also, but still too early in his career yet to use those stats, in reality would be the same as McGrath. As long as he keeps doing this without going for too many runs, then the selectors will keep picking him.

It will be interesting to see how he goes now without Warne & McGrath's constant pressure to back him up though.

[mighty_tiger_79]

CANT BOWL, the only thing he has is pace but no control