I was born to bowl fast: Brett Lee

How is life after retirement? Your final game (the Big Bash League final between Sydney Sixers and Perth Scorchers in Canberra on January 28) was quite an emotional one. You were on a hat-trick…
It had pretty much everything. And that's what the last eight months of my cricketing career were about. I knew this was going to be my last season. I didn't tell anyone other than my family that this was going to be my last season. But with two games to go, I announced it to the public. So, to me, the pressure was off. I could just relax and enjoy myself. I enjoyed the last two months of my career probably more than I enjoyed playing in a team before because it was so exciting. It was almost like a running race where you I could see the end. I could see that finish line. You are trying to get there. And I wanted to make sure that I got to that finish line without stumbling.

How different it is for a professional sportsperson to deal with retirement?
I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would get to the age of 38 and still be bowling, and that, too, at 150 kph. I was glad I could do that. If I was 31 or 32, and had I got to that stage and my body wasn't right, then I would have had to give up the game. But I am happy that my body has lasted this long. That's because I have looked after my body. But I wanted to make sure that I went out on my own terms. In Test match cricket, I didn't get that chance. It wasn't my call. In one-day cricket, it wasn't my call. So in Twenty20 cricket, I wanted it to be my call. I could have played, say, two more seasons. But at the end of the day, I wanted to draw a line on the sand and say that this would be my last day of cricket. And I am content with that. So I have got a lot of other things to do. I have a lot of other interests in life. There are things that I have done throughout my life apart from playing cricket. I did so in order to make sure that I had things to do after my cricket.

Talk about your interests in movies…
I have done a movie and it will be out in June. I am doing a lot of work with sponsors here in Australia. And there are some sponsors in India for whom I'll be doing some appearances as well. I am also doing commentary. These are good opportunities to further my skills, including broadcasting. There's the old saying that a bottle of red wine gets better with age. However — and I always say however — at one stage, that bottle of red win will get corked. So, you have got to make sure that you drink that bottle of red wine before it goes off. And that was my philosophy with sport. I made sure I went out at the right time.

The movie is title UnIndian…
Yeah, it's a romantic comedy set in Sydney. And without giving too much away (smiles), it's about a gentleman by the name of Will. He is a teacher. That's the character I am playing. He is also in love with an Indian girl who has come to Australia. So, you can imagine the whole Indian culture, with the girl's parents obviously very, very serious in their ways.

They want an Indian groom…
Yes, they want their daughter to get married to an Indian, not a firangi (laughs). But this firangi might end up with the girl. You will have to wait and see. But it was lot of fun to work with Tannishtha Chatterjee. She is a beautiful person and a wonderful actress. We became really good friends over that two-month period. She has obviously done some stunning movies, including Brick Lane (2007). I am told she is doing one with Nicole Kidman (Lion) too. When I was around her, I was trying to be like a sponge. I was trying to learn as much as possible. She is the one with all the experience. In cricket terminology, it's like a new player is trying to find his feet. I was doing the same.

How does Will look? Is he a nerdy, bespectacled teacher?
No, he is not wearing specs (laughs). Will is very likeable, down to earth and caring person.

That's just like you in real life…
(Laughs) Well, the thing is that because he is teaching Australian culture, he looks after a lot a lot the international students. And I guess when I read the script and saw the plot and my role, it went well with me because Will had the same beliefs I had in life. I have been offered many movie scripts, but they did not appeal to me. His one ticked all the boxes. It was also wonderful to work with Anupam Sharma (director-producer), who has been living in Australia for a long time. And I have been working with him for the last 12 years. That guy knows his stuff. When he showed me the script, I knew I was playing the right person and the right character.

You are also a big music person. Is it only your passion? Or did it also help you get away from cricket when you wanted to?
Yes, it's my pastime and also my escape. When I am out there playing in front of 53,000 people, like we are seeing (India and Pakistan do) today (Sunday), I am in the commentary box. It's a different feeling. I haven't got those nervous anxious moments about walking out to play. But if you go out there and you are successful; or you get none for 80 off your 10 overs, no matter what happens, I would get home or to the hotel room, close the door, pick up the guitar and play a few chords. And instantly, it's like that was the way to rest my emotional state. My emotional would go back to normal. And I would be ready to go again. I have always tried to do this. I ride this emotional wave. To me, this emotional wave (gestures up and down to form a series of bell curves) is that when you win the World Cup, there is a big spike in the wave. Yes, you are happy and you enjoy it. When you are dropped from the Australian cricket team, you don't get too low. Your spikes aren't too far apart. The wavelength, or the height (crest) of the wave and the depth (trough) of the wave, isn't too far apart. That's how I have always dealt with failure and success.

What age did you decide that you would become a fast…(bowler)?
(Interrupts) Nine.

Nine?
Yes.

How many times did you flirt with the idea of cutting down on pace to prolong…(your career)?
(Interrupts) Never. Even when I was on the hospital bed after six ankle operations, I told myself I would not slow down. If I have to bowl 130 kph, then I will quit. I was born to bowl fast. And I decided that I would do it when I was nine.

Who was your inspiration?
Of course, I watched a lot of the Australian guys. But, to me, it (the real inspiration) was Allan Donald. I loved the way he bowled — 'White Lightning', war paint, white sweat band, running in with a beautiful action, fast. And he seems like a nice guy off the field too.

The Phil Hughes incident is fresh in our minds. We know pacers always want to intimidate batsmen. But after this unfortunate event, do you think the mindset of bowlers has changed?
I think the way the players have viewed the game has changed. It has changed forever. But if Phil — and I know him very, very well — is looking down now and seeing that bowlers are running in and bowling half volleys, he would be shaking his head in absolute disgust. And he would be saying, 'Bowl short, bowl short'. Fast bowlers have to run in and bowl short. Batsmen have to play the hook shot. And it's such a freakish accident, almost a one-in-a-billion chance. It's very sad and it's very disturbing, but also the bowler still has to make sure that he still runs back in and bowls short. He is still trying to intimidate batsmen. Obviously, they don't want the batsmen to get hurt. The cricket world is very saddened by this loss. And that will never change. There will always be a special place in this world for Phil Hughes No. 408. That will be part of world history in terms of cricket. It's a sad thing, but they have also got to make sure that the young bowlers coming through can still run in and bowl fast.

Do you see enough speedsters today? Or is there a dearth of quality fast bowlers?
I think you, sort of, hear comments that someone bowling 140 kph is quick. And look, yeah, it's quick but I want to see bowlers bowling 150 kph. And yes, we have seen that with Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc. They are bowling super-quick now. Umesh Yadav can do it. Dale Steyn can still get close to 140-145 kph. I want to see some young guys coming through now. I want to see guys aged 18 and 19 hitting 145 kph. So, that would then be the next breed. Young bowlers like Pat Cummins can bowl 150 kph. In terms of Australian bowling stocks, it's very, very rich and healthy. But around the world, I want to see some young Indian bowlers come through and bowling fast. The other thing I will say is that they have to create wickets in India that are conducive to fast bowling. No bowler aged 14 wants to run in and see the ball go almost underground. I want to see some grounds become a little more bowler- friendly.

But they say Indians don't take to fast bowling naturally. Is it the genes, the body? That's why we have just one Kapil Dev and one Zaheer Khan. If a boy wants to bowl as fast as you did, what should he do in terms of food intake and fitness?
I have always said that you must have a balanced diet. I never went on a diet in my life. It was always a balanced diet. I eat very healthy. I still like my little snacks and my 'cheat' stuff like chocolate. But it's all balanced. And I also train very, very hard. A good fast bowler needs to be a fast runner. Michael Holding, 'Whispering Death', he had a beautiful running action. Allan Donald ran in fast, Shoaib Akhtar ran in fast. I want to see young bowlers run in fast. I did a lot of sprint work.

Did you train for five to six hours?
No, a couple of hours would do. But we used to spend four to five hours at the nets. You must train smart. And yes, you don't need big muscles to bowl fast. I have always said that. Dale Steyn's body now is what I was in 2003. I was built like Steyn. And that's when I bowled my fastest. So you have to work on your core muscles. Do your sit-ups and back (exercises). But be whippy as well. Guys who lift big weights generally don't bowl fast.

What about legs?
You get strong legs by doing bowling fitness.

So, it's your abs and your back?
And gluteus, your buttocks.

But isn't fast bowling also more about rhythm?
It's about how you project that ball down the wicket as quickly as you can. If you have too much muscle mass, then you are going to be slow. So train hard. You also have to be blessed with fast twitch fibres.

The World Cup has already seen so many 300-plus totals…
It's definitely going to be very, very hard for the bowlers. This wicket (Adelaide) has nothing in it. Not even thoda thoda. So, as a bowler, you must get hold of your ego and leave it at home sometime. You are going to get it. That's the nature of the beast.

Did you ever visualise a wicket?
Always! My visualisation was: run in, bowl fast, draw the batsman forward, induce a nick and then watch Gilly (Adam Gilchrist) dive towards first slip and complete a brilliant catch.