Brett Lee

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Given that he has carried a tag as being one of his country's fastest ever bowlers virtually right from the time of his first-class debut in 1995, it is probably no great surprise that Brett Lee has duly become one of the world's most exciting pace bowlers. The younger brother of one-day international all-rounder Shane, he is indeed a thrilling player to watch. He approaches the bowling crease at a bristling gallop from a long run-up, thrusts his front arm high, and then releases the ball at thundering speed from a nicely balanced side-on position. The pace that he generates is disarming and it is not uncommon for the speed of his deliveries to be clocked at a rate well in excess of 140 kilometres per hour. In April 2000, he unleashed one measured at 156 kph in a one-day international in Johannesburg. Two years later, and also in South Africa, two of his deliveries were clocked at better than 157 kph in a Test. It is this attribute above all else which is the crucial factor in allowing him to defeat batsmen with a mix of short and full deliveries and to force them into errant strokeplay off both the back and front foot.

Like so many good fast bowlers before him, Lee has already been forced to endure adversity along the pathway to success. He sustained stress fractures to his back and was kept out of the game for several months before kickstarting his career again in late 1998. He also had elbow surgery in February 2001, which limited his effectiveness during Australia's subsequent tour of England.