Brett Lee Leaves Out Sachin Tendulkar & Ricky Ponting, Picks South African Star As Best Ever Cricketer

Former Australia fast bowler Brett Lee is considered to be one of the greatest pacers of all-time thanks to his extreme pace and the great rivalries he had with some of the best batters of the opposing teams during his amazing career.

Brett Lee made his Test debut in 1999 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against India and while he had a short Test career, which came to an end in 2008, he picked 76 matches, picking 310 wickets in all. His limited-overs career was a long one, till 2012 and he picked 380 ODI wickets in 221 matches and 28 T20I scalps in 25 matches. He continued in the Big Bash League and the Indian Premier League for a couple of years more, before calling time on his cricketing career in 2015.

During an interaction with his one-time speed rival, Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar, on his YouTube channel, Brett Lee revisited his playing days and also named his favorite cricketer.

Jacques Kallis Is The Best Cricket Ever, No Question: Brett Lee

During the chat, Brett Lee named his pick for the best cricketer ever, and without hesitation, he named South African legend Jacques Kallis. Jacques Kallis is widely considered to be one of the two all-time greatest all-rounders to have ever played the game, the other being West Indian legend Sir Garfield Sobers. Kallis was a classic batter and a more than handy medium pace bowler.

“I loved playing against fast bowlers. Jacques Kallis is the best all-rounder, no question. He is the best cricketer ever,” said Lee.

Kallis played for South Africa from 1995 to 2014. The right-hander played 166 Tests, making 13289 runs with 45 centuries and picking 292 wickets. In 328 ODIs, Kallis made 11579 runs with 17 centuries and picked 273 wickets.

Further in the chat, the Australian stated he hated bowling to India legend Sachin Tendulkar and revealed it was Muttiah Muralitharan, whom he didn’t like facing.

“I hated bowling to Sachin because he was just so good. Great technique. I always found it hard to face spin, so someone like Muralitharan would have to be the bowler I wouldn’t want to face. He was tough to face, I could never pick him,” said Lee.

The former Australia quick also expressed his love for India, calling the experience “brilliant”. He had recently received a letter of appreciation from India PM Narendra Modi as India celebrated its 73^rd Republic Day.

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