Brett Lee - Future Australian Captain?

[masterblaster]

With all the fiasco surrounding Australia's spirit of cricket and the Australian captaincy, I couldn't help but think of Brett Lee being a brilliant ambassador for Australian Cricket. He plays the game really hard, but the man is always fair.

All the talk is around Michael Clarke taking over the captaincy when Ricky Ponting decides to give up the game, but nobody has really considered Brett Lee for the role. He meets a lot of 'off field' criteria that a good captain should have.

He's by all accounts a nice bloke, has a media friendly image, works harder than anybody out there and is well liked by the international community. He seems to be a really intelligent cricketer too, in the way that he has come back and re assessed his bowling from about 2 years ago.

Seeing Anil Kumble, another bowler at 37 captaining India so well and with Brett Lee only being 30, would he be a logical choice at around 32 - 33 years of age to captain Australia if he is fit and bowling well? Courtney Walsh and Waqar Younis are other fast bowlers also captained their sides with reasonably good results.

Would love to hear some comments on this.

 

[pasag]

Certainly not an absurd suggestion but I think age is really the issue and I'd imagine he'd retire at the same time as Ponting being a fast bowler and all.

 

[sideshowtim]

Certainly not an absurd suggestion but I think age is really the issue and I'd imagine he'd retire at the same time as Ponting being a fast bowler and all.

Yep, too old. Add to that absolutely no captaincy experience.

It'll be Clarke IMO, barring the meteoric rise of a Henriques or something.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Would hate it if he did, because it means that Cricket Australia has appointed a captain due to perceived pressure about player behaviour. Lee isn't the smartest cricketer in the side and wouldn't make a good captain.

 

[masterblaster]

Would hate it if he did, because it means that Cricket Australia has appointed a captain due to perceived pressure about player behaviour. Lee isn't the smartest cricketer in the side and wouldn't make a good captain.

The way he's come back after bowling absolute rubbish in 2003/2004 suggests that he's matured and knows his bowling quite well and is also thinking about it. Ofcourse it doesn't mean at all that he's tactically intelligent, but who knows.

 

[Jono]

Haha it'd be cool if the Australian test captain also held a #2 hit single on the Indian music charts.

 

[Burgey]

and gunning for number 1 this year, apparently.

I think he has enough on his plate really, though certainly from a diplomacy point of view they could do a lot worse. I suspect that they will always, quite rightly, pick the best tactical brain first and foremost provided they aren't also completely obnoxious before their appointment.

It was great to hear Dravid pay such a great tribute to Lee in Perth, talking about how he's really bowlign so well and is now pretty much a complete test bowler.

I've oftern wondered , generally speaking, whether most test/ FC players are happy to take time with younger guys to teach them about the game? I mean, we're talking about problems with emerging spinners in Aus, was/ is someone like Warne approachable to talk with these guys?

 

[Top_Cat]

The way he's come back after bowling absolute rubbish in 2003/2004 suggests that he's matured and knows his bowling quite well and is also thinking about it. Ofcourse it doesn't mean at all that he's tactically intelligent, but who knows.

This is the crux of the issue; 'who knows?'. As far as I'm aware, he's never captained a FC side. Australia generally doesn't appoint bowlers as captain and I don't anticipate they'll change that any time soon. Plus, I echo vic_orthdox's sentiments; the best captain should be the captain and if behaviour is a problem, encourage him to work at it. A captain should never be picked because he's the nicest bloke in the team if the object is to win.

 

[howardj]

Several planets have to align for you to become captain of Australia.

Namely, a vacancy has to arise (in this case a Ponting retirement) when:

- You are 28-30 years old;

- You are a batsman;

- You have the respect of your teammates, particularly the senior guys;

- You have a decent image.

That's why Clarke is the red hot favourite.

 

[Jono]

Clarke's been the favourite even before he made his test debut though.

Its quite extraordinary. Not many people are earmarked as captain before they even play a test match.

 

[adharcric]

Haha it'd be cool if the Australian test captain also held a #2 hit single on the Indian music charts.

You're kidding surely? That song with Asha Bhonsle was absolutely hideous.

 

[Jono]

That's why it'd be awesome.

Think of your past Australian captains. Ian Chappell, Allan Border, Steve Waugh...

then you have Brett Lee singing a Bollywood track.

The juxtaposition is brilliant.

 

[Perm]

I'd love to see it happen, I reckon Lee would make a good skipper.

 

[NZTailender]

I'd love to see it happen, I reckon Lee would make a good skipper.

Based on what exactly? His incredible tactical brain?

 

[Perm]

Based on what exactly? His incredible tactical brain?

Attitude.

 

[NZTailender]

Attitude.

You can't be a captain just because of attitude. There are a lot of factors going into being captain. Experience with captaincy, of which Lee has barely any, IF any.
Actually having a good cricketing brain - when was the last time Brett Lee made any changes to the field that resulted in a wicket? I'm fairly sure he just relies on the captain to set the field and he bowls.
Maturity - Lee is 30 and he still doesn't strike me as someone who is mature. He also has to be the teams spokesman and answer a lot of hard questions, something that I'm not entirely confident Brett Lee could do without getting too angered or be the exact opposite and be too laid back.

 

[Pratters]

I love Brett Lee. He is a brilliant ambassador for the game of cricket. Gives his heart out, bowls brilliants and most importantly, a charecteristic I value most in sportspersons, he is a very sporting man. So we saw him in that Ashes moment in 2005 with Andrew Flintoff. We also saw him smiling broadly and congratulating the Indians like Tendulkar at Perth during the handshakes. Timing wise, it is a bit tough for him though. Had he been 28 right now, he would have been a big favourite for the captaincy in the future imo.

 

[Jono]

But... but... he can sing Bollywood music

 

[Captain Cricket]

Hussey is also another option for the captaincy if not Clarke.

 

[jammay123]

they have similar ages so wont hussey and ponting retire about the same time i dont see ponting stepping down until he retires