Australian cricket icon Brett Lee has paid a heartfelt tribute to fellow fast-bowling great Dennis Lillee, crediting him with shaping a career that has now been immortalised with induction into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.
A Fateful Warning at a Bowling Camp
The journey to greatness for the express paceman from the NSW south coast began with a stark warning. As a teenager at a fast-bowling clinic, a young Lee was told by Lillee that he was the quickest bowler there. However, the legend delivered a sobering prediction: "if you don't change your (bowling) action, in two years I reckon you'll have a broken back."
Now 49, Lee admits he dismissed the advice at the time. "When you're 16 you think you're invincible, and two years later I broke my back," he recalled. This prophetic moment set the stage for a crucial mentorship.
Lillee's Mentorship Forges a Legend
Recognising his rare talent, the then Australian Cricket Board urgently arranged for the young speedster to fly to Perth and work intensively with Lillee. This intervention proved career-defining.
"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 gratefully.
This technical guidance allowed Lee to fulfil a childhood dream born at just nine years old: to crash through the 160km/h barrier and wear the coveted baggy green cap. He idolised the raw pace of Lillee and Jeff Thomson, treating the speed mark like athletics' four-minute mile.
A Career of Fearsome Pace and Dominance
The partnership with Lillee yielded one of the most formidable careers in cricket history. Lee's refined action propelled him to become one of the sport's most feared bowlers.
His international statistics are a testament to his longevity and skill:
- 310 wickets in 76 Test matches during a golden era for Australian fast bowling.
- 380 wickets in 221 One Day Internationals.
- 28 wickets in 25 Twenty20 Internationals.
Operating in a period of Australian supremacy, Lee was a key contributor to ODI World Cup triumphs in 1999, 2003, and 2007, as well as multiple Ashes campaigns.
He ultimately achieved his childhood speed quest, with his fastest delivery clocked at a blistering 161.1km/h, one of the quickest balls ever recorded. "I wanted to have a crack at that one day - and I was lucky to achieve it," Lee said, referencing Thomson's historic record.
In a fitting tribute, Lee's Hall of Fame induction was unveiled at the foot of Dennis Lillee's statue outside the Melbourne Cricket Ground, following a Boxing Day Test dominated by bowlers—a perfect full-circle moment for the pace prodigy turned legend.
