Brett Lee facts for kids
Lee in January 2008
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name |
Brett Lee
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| Born | 8 November 1976 Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia |
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| Nickname | Binga | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm fast | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Bowler | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations | Shane Lee (brother) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
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| Test debut (cap 383) | 26 December 1999 v India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 26 December 2008 v South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI debut (cap 140) | 9 January 2000 v Pakistan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 7 July 2012 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI shirt no. | 58 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I debut (cap 7) | 17 February 2005 v New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last T20I | 30 March 2012 v West Indies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I shirt no. | 58 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997/98–2010/11 | New South Wales (squad no. 58) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2010 | Kings XI Punjab (squad no. 58) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010/11 | Wellington (squad no. 58) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | Kolkata Knight Riders (squad no. 58) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011/12–2014/15 | Sydney Sixers (squad no. 58) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012/13 | Otago (squad no. 58) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Source: ESPNcricinfo, 18 February 2017
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Brett Lee (born 8 November 1976) is a famous Australian former international cricket player. He played in all three main types of cricket: Test, One Day International (ODI), and Twenty20 (T20). During his career, Lee was known as one of the fastest bowlers in the world.
Representing Australia, Brett Lee helped his team win several big titles. These include the 2003 Cricket World Cup, the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy, and the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy. He was the first bowler to take a hat-trick in T20 cricket, which he did in 2007. He also took the first hat-trick by an Australian bowler at a Cricket World Cup in 2003.
Lee was a great fielder and a useful batter lower down the batting order. He finished his Test career with 310 wickets and his One Day International career with 380 wickets. Many people consider him one of the best bowlers of his time. He retired from international cricket on 12 July 2012. After that, he continued to play in Twenty20 leagues like the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Big Bash League. In January 2015, he announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. Since then, he has worked as a film actor and a cricket commentator.
Contents
Brett Lee: Australia's Cricket Star
Brett Lee is one of Australia's most well-known cricketers. He was famous for his incredibly fast bowling. He often bowled at speeds over 140 kilometers per hour (87 mph). This made him a very exciting player to watch.
Early Days in Cricket
Brett Lee started playing cricket in junior teams for his local club, the Oak Flats Rats. He slowly moved up through the different levels. He also played for other clubs like Campbelltown and Mosman in Sydney Grade Cricket.
When he was 16, he had a stress fracture in his lower back. This injury forced him to change how he bowled to protect his back. He later received a scholarship to the Australian Cricket Academy.
Playing for New South Wales
Lee first joined the New South Wales Blues squad in 1997. He made his first-class debut for the Blues against Western Australia. He took three wickets in that game.
He became a regular player for the Blues in the 1998–99 season. His strong performances caught the eye of Steve Waugh, who was the captain of the Australian team at the time. This led to Lee making his Test debut for Australia.
In 2008, he had his best batting score in first-class cricket, scoring 97 runs. He also helped the Blues win the 2008 Pura Cup final by taking four wickets. In 2009, he was a key player when New South Wales won the 2009 Champions League Twenty20. He was even named Man of the Match and Man of the Series in that tournament.
Lee stopped playing first-class cricket after retiring from Test cricket. He wanted to focus on shorter forms of the game. In June 2012, he ended his 15-year journey with the New South Wales team. He played his last Big Bash League game in January 2015 for the Sydney Sixers.
Playing for Australia: Test Cricket
Lee made his Test debut for Australia in December 1999 against India. It was a memorable start! He took a wicket in his very first over. He ended the innings with 5 wickets for 47 runs, becoming the first Australian fast bowler since Dennis Lillee to take 5 wickets on debut.
He had a great start to his Test career, taking 42 wickets in his first three series. However, he faced several injuries, including stress fractures in his back and an elbow injury. These injuries kept him out of the game for periods.
After recovering, Lee returned to the team. He had some ups and downs with his performance. He was even dropped from the team for a while in 2002. But he worked hard and made his way back.
In the 2005 Ashes series, Lee returned to the Test team. He bowled alongside Glenn McGrath. He also showed his fighting spirit with the bat, scoring important runs. He took his 150th Test wicket during this series.
After the retirements of cricket legends Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, Lee became the main bowler for Australia. He performed very well, taking 16 wickets in a series against Sri Lanka in 2007. He also took 24 wickets against India. His excellent performances earned him the Allan Border Medal in 2008, which is given to Australia's best international cricketer.
Lee continued to battle injuries, especially to his ankle and foot. These injuries eventually led him to retire from Test cricket in February 2010. He finished his Test career with 310 wickets in 76 matches.
Playing for Australia: One Day Internationals
Lee made his One Day International (ODI) debut for Australia in January 2000 against Pakistan. He quickly became one of the top ODI bowlers in the world. The ICC (International Cricket Council) even ranked him as the number one ODI bowler in January 2006.
He is known for his amazing hat-trick in the 2003 Cricket World Cup against Kenya. He was the first Australian to achieve this feat in a World Cup.
2003 World Cup Success
In the 2003 Cricket World Cup, Brett Lee was a key player for Australia. He took 22 wickets in the tournament, helping Australia win the World Cup. He bowled incredibly fast, with some deliveries reaching over 160 kilometers per hour (99 mph).
He took 5 wickets for 42 runs against New Zealand in one match. He also took his first international hat-trick against Kenya during the Super-six stage of the tournament.
Later ODI Career
After injuries, Lee made a strong comeback to ODI cricket. In a series against England in 2009, he was Australia's highest wicket-taker. He also took his ninth five-wicket haul in ODIs. He was part of the team that won the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy.
He continued to play in the 2011 Cricket World Cup, taking 13 wickets. His final ODIs were in 2012 during a tour of England and Ireland.
Playing for Australia: Twenty20
Lee made his T20 International debut in February 2005 against New Zealand. This was the first-ever T20 international match!
In the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, he made history by taking the first hat-trick in T20 internationals against Bangladesh. He also won the Man of the Match award for that game.
Bowling Style
Brett Lee was famous for his incredible speed. He consistently bowled at over 140 km/h (87 mph). His fastest recorded ball was 161.3 km/h (100.2 mph) against New Zealand in 2005. Bowling so fast caused him many injuries, so he learned to use different types of deliveries to trick batsmen, not just relying on speed.
Batting Skills
Lee was also a good lower-order batsman. He often scored important runs for his team. In the 2005 Ashes series, he played a defiant innings of 43 not out. This almost won the match for Australia. After that game, England players Steve Harmison and Andrew Flintoff famously consoled Lee, showing great sportsmanship.
His highest Test score was 64 runs against South Africa in 2006. In ODI matches, his highest score was 59 runs against West Indies in 2012.
Life After Cricket
After retiring from international cricket, Brett Lee became a cricket commentator for Channel Nine. He also helped write a series of cricket novels for kids called Toby Jones.
In 2019, he appeared on The Masked Singer Australia as Parrot. He also acted in an Indo-Australian film called UnIndian, which was released in 2016.
Personal Life
Brett Lee grew up in New South Wales with his two brothers, Shane and Grant. His older brother, Shane, also played cricket for Australia. As a child, Brett looked up to famous bowlers like Allan Donald and Dennis Lillee.
He got his nickname 'Binga' from a chain of electronics stores called Bing Lee. He was also briefly nicknamed "Oswald" by former Australian captain Steve Waugh.
Lee married Elizabeth Kemp in 2006, and they had a son before divorcing in 2009. He later married Lana Anderson in 2014, and they have two children.
He is part of a rock band called Six & Out with his brother Shane and other former cricketers. Brett plays the bass or acoustic guitar in the band. In 2006, he even recorded a song called "You're the One for Me" with Indian singer Asha Bhosle. The song became very popular in India and South Africa.
In 2011, he released his autobiography, which is a book about his life.
Charity Work
Brett Lee supports several charities. These include the Salvation Army, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), and the Make a Wish Foundation. He has been an 'Official Friend' of the Make a Wish Foundation for a long time. In 2007, he started his own charity in India called Mewsic, which helps set up music centers.
Awards and Records
- 2000 Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year
- 2006 Wisden Cricketer of the Year
- 2008 Allan Border Medal (Australia's best international cricketer)
- First player to take a hat-trick in Twenty20 International cricket.
- Second fastest Australian ODI player to take 100 wickets.
Career Highlights
Tests
- Best bowling figures: 5 wickets for 30 runs against West Indies in Brisbane (2005).
- 100th Test wicket: Marcus Trescothick (England) in Sydney (2003).
- 200th Test wicket: Mark Boucher (South Africa) in Durban (2006).
- Highest batting score: 64 runs against South Africa in Johannesburg (2006).
- 300th Test wicket: Jamie How (New Zealand) in Brisbane (2008).
One-day Internationals
- Best bowling figures: 5 wickets for 22 runs against South Africa in Melbourne (2006).
- Highest batting score: 59 runs against West Indies (2012).
- 100th ODI wicket: Andy Caddick (England) in Melbourne (2003).
- 200th ODI wicket: Marcus Trescothick (England) at Lord's (2005).
- 300th ODI wicket: Darren Sammy (West Indies) in St George's (2008).
- He is the only bowler to take 5 wickets twice in ODIs played at Lord's.
Career Best Performances
| Score | Fixture | Venue | Season | |
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| Test | 5/30 | Australia v West Indies | Gabba, Brisbane | 2005 |
| ODI | 5/22 | Australia v South Africa | Docklands Stadium, Melbourne | 2006 |
| T20I | 3/23 | West Indies v Australia | Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados | 2012 |
| FC | 7/114 | New South Wales v South Australia | SCG, Sydney | 2002 |
| LA | 5/22 | Australia v South Africa | Docklands Stadium, Melbourne | 2006 |
| T20 | 4/28 | Sydney Sixers v Perth Scorchers | SCG, Sydney | 2014 |
Images for kids
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Lee in January 2008
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Brett Lee bowling against South Africa at the WACA in 2005
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Lee bowling against Pakistan at Lord's, 2004-09-04
