Brett Lee Reveals His Reaction Watching Shoaib Akhtar Bowl For The First Time

When it comes to being the fastest in the modern era, not many have matched Brett Lee and Shoaib Akhtar in that department. Both Australia and Pakistan has gifted the world some elite fast bowlers. From Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thompson, Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram, and Glenn McGrath, the names are never-ending. Meanwhile, Brett Lee has revealed how Shoaib Akhtar left him awestruck when Lee saw him for the first time.

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Both Brett Lee and Shoaib Akhtar instilled terror in the minds of batsmen in their heydays. Their weapon was not only pace but also their ability to stick to their plans for each batsman and nailing the yorkers that destroyed the stumps. At their peak, they were amongst the best and arguably the fastest.

While the pair were two sides of the same coin, the 43-year old former Aussie speedster revealed his first reaction seeing Akhtar. Brett Lee described as seeing a guy steaming in with beautiful flowing hair and a quick-arm action. At that very moment, the Australian quick began asking everything about the Rawalpindi Express.

Brett Lee on the first time he saw Shoaib Akhtar bowl "I was watching Pakistan playing a Test match on TV & I see this guy with beautiful flowing hair running in with a quick arm action & I thought ‘Holy smoke! That is good pace. Who is this guy? What’s this guy’s name?" #Cricket

— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) May 28, 2020

“I don’t care what country someone comes from, if they are bowling quick I just love to watch it”: Brett Lee

The New South Wales speedster went on to say that it was in the late 90s that he saw Shoaib bowling for the first time. Lee adores quick bowlers and conceded that it doesn’t matter for him which country they belong to as long as they are bowling quick, it’s hard not to watch.

Having made their debuts in the late 90s, Brett Lee and Shoaib Akhtar formed a vital cog in their nation’s bowling attack. While both of their careers were troubled with injuries, they have accounted for over 1000 international wickets. Lee’s fastest ball of 161.1 km/h came in 2005 while Akhtar bowled his quickest of 161.3 km/h in 2003.

Brett Lee "It must have been the late 90’s, perhaps 1997 or 1998 when I first saw Shoaib Akhtar bowling. I just thought that he's so exciting to watch. I don’t care what country someone comes from, if they are bowling quick I just love to watch it" #Cricket

— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) May 28, 2020