Brett Lee Bids Test Cricket Adieu

Sreelata YellamrazuFeb 24 2010

Brett Lee is only bidding the Test cricket and hopes to keep his cricket aspirations alive.

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The Australian fast bowler stated at his retirement, ""It's with mixed emotions today that I will announce that I'm standing down from Test cricket. I know the time is right which I suppose is why I'm smiling. This hasn't happened overnight.This has been a long process. I've had the time to step away from cricket and what I want to achieve. It's been about a three- to four-month decision that I've made and finally I went with it."

Lee apparently consulted England's Andrew Flintoff who took a similar route following the Ashes, giving way to a new terminology "freelance cricketer".

Explaining the rigours of his journey, Lee spoke, "I've put my body through 12 operations now in order to play cricket for Australia. There has to come a time when you have to draw a line in the sand. I thought about quitting all parts of the game actually a while ago, but watching a bit of cricket - I've still got that passion and that desire inside my belly, it's burning to get back out there and play cricket for Australia."

Reflecting on his Test cricket retirement, Lee stated, "It's a sad thought that I'll never get to wear the baggy green cap again - but I've had so much pleasure and so much fun and I've cherished every single moment of it," said Lee. "It's a lifestyle choice but also a cricket choice," he added. "I'm 33 years of age now and I don't think I can get through the strains of bowling 30-overs a day for five days straight. I probably could do it for a period of time but in order for me to achieve these other goals something had to give and unfortunately it's Test cricket."

He could have hung up his boots at the first wicket, taking his first Test wicket in Melbourne against India in 1999 after clean bowling Sadagoppan Ramesh.

About a specialist bowler, "Obviously, there's specialist one-day and Twenty20 bowlers. But for me, Test cricket is where it's at. There's a lot of luck in Twenty 20, a lot of skill and a bit of luck in one-dayers. But Test cricket is a test for the bowlers and a test for the batsman."

On future goals, Lee explored, "There are some key goals which I'd like to achieve and first and foremost I'd love to be a part of the T20 World Cup (in April - the 2010 ICC World Twenty20) and further down the track next year in India ... I'd love to be a part of the 50-over one-day World Cup (2011 ICC World Cup)."

While he had earlier stated that he did not face problems coming to India (during the Shiv Sena agitation), he is now awaiting the security concerns being addressed before making the decision to come to India for IPL 3, provided his elbow is a 100 per cent fit.

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