Veteran Lee still feels the need for speed

Lee said he is confident that he has plenty of speed left in his armoury.

Brett Lee may be the oldest member of Australia’s fast-bowling attack at the World Cup but despite being 34,he is not willing to compromise with his speed and aggression.

Last week,Australian captain,Ricky Ponting,described the speed merchant as the glue that held the team’s pace attack,which includes Mitchell Johnson and Shaun Tait,together.

Lee,while appreciating his skipper’s compliment,said he is confident that he has plenty of speed left in his armoury and enjoys “seeing the stumps fly”.

“I’m still out to bowl fast. I said about six months ago that if I couldn’t hit that 150kph (93mph) mark I wouldn’t want to be playing cricket,which is the truth.

“I enjoy the pace,I enjoy seeing the stumps fly. To me that’s the exciting part of cricket,but obviously here on the subcontinent,where the wickets aren’t really conducive to fast bowling,you have to try a few more things,” Lee told reporters after a training session ahead of their match against Kenya here on Sunday.

Johnson is the side’s leading wicket-taker with eight,Tait has six,while Lee has taken three in the event so far.

Lee said the defending champions have got the best bowling combination,which other World Cup sides will find hard to match,but also acknowledged the Indian attack as “very strong”.

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“As far as who has got the best bowling attack I would think Australia is up there. We have a very strong pace attack. We are very comfortable and happy how it is going in the tournament.

“It’s good that we are not coming in as favourites but we still haven’t played our best cricket. In all three facets of the game,we need to improve a bit,the way we are going its important to peak at the right time.

“Indian bowling attack is very strong. The way they are bowling in the death overs,with the slower balls it is very hard for the batsmen,” said Lee,who has taken 195 ODI wickets since making his debut 11 years ago.

Lee,who retired from Test cricket last year following a series of career-threatening injuries,remains an important member of Australia’s World Cup campaign,with vast experience of local conditions from previous sub-continent outings and playing in the Indian Premier League.

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“Now I know my bowling better than I ever have. It doesn’t mean you’re going to get five wickets every game,but you’re more likely to be a bit smarter. As batsmen are working out new shots,we as bowlers have to be adapting as well. It’s about fine tuning your trade and being a bit smarter.

“Over here on the subcontinental wickets,which aren’t really conducive to fast bowling,you have to learn to try a few more things and those types of change-ups. They’re the things that have definitely been helping me over the last six or seven months,” he said.