Happy Birthday Brett Lee - Cricketer, musician and Sachin Tendulkar's worst nightmare

Brett Lee made his debut in the Boxing Day Test against India in 1999. He strikes immediately in his first over and proceeds to take five wickets on debut. His sheer pace is too hot to handle for India and they lose the match by a big margin and the series. This wil be the start of Brett Lee's long run in the Australia team. He would later emerge as the spearhead of the attack and lead them to wins in West Indies, New Zealand and South Africa as well as in home against Sri Lanka and India. In 76 Tests, Brett Lee took 310 wickets. (Image credit: Twitter)

Brett Lee had an instant impact even in ODIs when he took a five wicket haul in his very first ODI series and that was also against India in Adelaide. Brett Lee once again showed his ability to be accurate and bowl at raw pace. In 221 ODIs, Brett Lee would take 380 wickets and there would be some memorable moments. Lee's brilliance in the 2003 World Cup, where he touched 160 kmph stood out and he was the reason why Australia could win the World Cup in South Africa easily. (Image credit: Twitter)

Brett Lee's trademark chainsaw celebration was a sight to behold and in his near-15 year career, he was part of many highs for Australian cricket. He was part of the victorous Australia squads for the 2003 World Cup and the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy. When Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne retired, it was Brett Lee who handled the new ball and led the Australian attack brilliantly under the captaincy of Ricky Ponting. (Image credit: Twitter)

When Brett Lee played against India, he would add another level or dimension to his bowling. The reason - Sachin Tendulkar. In that same era, Sachin Tendulkar dominated the Australians. But, it was Brett Lee who managed to keep him under wraps for a brief period. Lee has gotten rid of Sachin Tendulkar the most times in ODIs with nine while in Tests, he has been dismissed five times. The fact that he got the greatest batsman in world cricket close to 15 times in all formats combined showed he was the best Australian pacer at that time. (Image credit: Twitter)

Brett Lee has taken 720 international wickets in his career. Towards the fag end, injuries took a toll and he never was the same bowler again. He retired from all competitive cricket after the end of the 2012 Big Bash League. Apart from cricket, Brett Lee is a magnificent musician who has also composed some songs in India. He has also acted in moves but he is a well-renowned cricket commentator nowadays, primarily commenting on the IPL, Indian and Australian cricket. (Image credit: Twitter)