Brett Lee announces retirement from Test cricket: Australia quick calls it a day after 310 wickets

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• Lee could be forced out of international cricket after 76 Tests • 'It depends how the surgery goes ... I do want to keep playing' Australia fast bowler Brett Lee says he will leave the game proud of his career if injury forces him into premature retirement. The paceman's 76-Test journey is at the crossroads, with a persistent elbow injury flaring up again and ruling him out for up to 12 weeks. More... Australia fast bowler Brett Lee says elbow injury could force retirement • Lee could be forced out of international cricket after 76 Tests • 'It depends how the surgery goes ... I do want to keep playing' guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 17 November 2009 08.56 GMT The Australia fast bowler Brett Lee says he will leave the game proud of his career if injury forces him into premature retirement. The paceman's 76-Test journey is at the crossroads, with a persistent elbow injury flaring up again and ruling him out for up to 12 weeks. That leaves Lee with no chance of forcing his way back into the Test side this summer and, at the age of 33, his future looks uncertain. "At this point in time I don't need to make a call [on retirement]. It depends on how the operation goes – if that takes place – how the fitness is and how much I want it," he said. "I do want to keep playing for Australia. I love being out there in the green and gold and enjoy playing for my country. But if I don't play another game for Australia again or play another game of cricket again, I'm very pleased with what I've achieved." Fitness will not be the only factor Lee considers when the time comes to make a call on his future. He is desperate to spend less time away from his young son Preston and also has a media career awaiting him. "I need to get away from the game, get this elbow right and then I'll make a call on my future. It's a tough question because I don't know how the elbow's going to pull up. But I've had setbacks before and don't see why I can't come back from this. "I'm 33 years of age but with the cricket I've missed, I don't see my body being 33 as well. I still think there is a lot of cricket left in me." Lee added he will "exhaust every avenue" to correct his elbow problem, labelling surgery a "last resort". If he does return, Lee's aim is to become the first Australian to claim 400 ODI wickets. "I've had people write me off the last 10, 12 years and I've always found a way to come back."

[Aadhavzone]

oh s hit! so unfortunate :((

[vvvslaxman]

IPL is there. He can even stand and bowl.

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Bowlers at breaking point AUSTRALIA'S leading bowlers are being pushed to breaking point by the most punishing workload in more than a decade. More... Crickets' frontline bowlers paying the price Peter Badel November 22, 2009 12:00am AUSTRALIA'S leading bowlers are being pushed to breaking point by the most punishing workload in more than a decade. In a worrying sign of the demands on modern-day attacks, statistics show Australian bowlers sent down almost 44,000 deliveries across Test, one-day and Twenty20 cricket in the past two years. The most overworked bowler during that period was Mitchell Johnson, who has delivered a staggering 8503 balls since November 2007. That figure does not include extras and the countless balls delivered during numerous practice sessions. Last week, there were 28 state and Test players sidelined through injury, including at least 16 bowlers. And while not all the casualties can be blamed on an excessive workload, the predicament confronting injured 76-Test veteran Brett Lee underlines Australian cricket's challenge of safeguarding our elite bowlers in the face of a gruelling international schedule.

[ESPN]

Lee to decide his future in 3 months Lee to decide his future in 3 months Recuperating from the "most painful" surgery of his career, pacer Brett Lee says he will take a call on his future in the next 10 to 12 weeks. The 33-year-old, who is currently nursing an elbow injury, said he remains optimistic about his international career but the final decision will boil down to how his elbow responds to the treatment in the next couple of months. The injury-plagued speedster, who has played 76 Tests, said he is focusing on his recovery right now and doesn't want to think about what might happen in the next few months. "It's about a 16-week injury with ligament damage and there was a couple of bone spurs in there that were taken out. It's a pretty decent operation. I've had 12 now and this has probably been the worst, the most painful. This is the second I've had on my elbow, but I'm pretty positive," Lee told 'Channel Nine'. "I'm not going to make any calls about what the future holds but we will wait and see. I would love to hopefully get to the Twenty20 World Cup and then just reassess after that. But it all comes down to how the elbow feels, and if it pulls up OK in the next 10 to 12 weeks, I'll see how it goes," he said. Lee insisted that he still has a lot to offer on the cricket field but will have to assess his level of motivation in the wake of alarmingly frequent injury breakdowns. "There is a heap more cricket left in me yet and I haven't certainly given up at this point in time, but it's a matter of seeing how everything pulls up and seeing how hungry I still am in about 10 or 12 weeks," he said. In his decade long career so far, Lee has endured injuries to his ankle, which required four operations in all, ribs and elbow among others. The affable bowler has bounced back each time but has not been able to sustain any injury-free run for long. However, despite the punishment his body has taken, Lee has time and again refused to cut down on his speed.

[Block hole]

Brett Lee says he may never bowl again Sydney: Australian and New South Wales fast Bowler Brett Lee has said that there is a distinct possibility of him not bowling in competitive cricket again, as he is yet to recover from a serious elbow injury. Talking to The Sunday Telegraph, Lee said he would consult Test captain Ricky Ponting before deciding whether to press on with his career or to pull the plug on his 13-year career. His hopes of a Test recall had an almost terminal setback on Friday when Australia coach Tim Nielsen revealed the 33-year-old was at long odds to again wear the baggy green. Lee is working hard on his rehabilitation from elbow surgery but admits there is no guarantee he will be seen in Australian colours again. "As far as my cricket goes, anything is possible. You can read into it what you want, but I may play one-dayers, or no cricket at all," said Lee, who has taken 310 Test wickets and 324 one-day scalps. "I may never bowl another ball again, and if that's the case I'm so satisfied with my career and my longevity. I'm not saying it's definitely over, but I'm not sure what I want to be just yet. To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure what I still want to do at this point in my cricketing life. I need to get to the stage where, if I want to, I can do what I need to do on the field,†he added. "If it's the case that I don't play again, well that's the case. There is a part of me that would like to play some sort of cricket again. But what kind of cricket that is, I don't know," he said. The 76-Test veteran has had 12 injuries throughout his 13-year first-class career, including back, ankle, rib and elbow problems. But he says he has never encountered an injury like his recent elbow complaint. "I'm making a lifestyle decision here as opposed to a cricketing one and I'll see what comes out of it," he said.

[Watson87]

I seriouly don't care about this baywatch dude.

[Ranjha]

Hmm, I bet he will be playing in IPL for sure in the coming future. Now, if he doesn't consider it competitive cricket then thats a different matter all together.

[King]

Yup another one sold out to IPL I guess. It's alarming the number of Aussies that have given up playing for Australia in the last couple of years or three for money from India. I hope Lee doesn't go the same way. In fact Aussies are the second best paid from what I gather.

[retterimp]

well ipl will definitely be on the cards. cant leave all those dollars obviously you were not that great in tests anyway. we wont miss you

[Jersey #10]

Big Blow for the cricket world :((

[gs]

Alternate career in Bollywood?

[achilles]

The third major deflection to IPL. First it was Andrew Symonds, then Andrew Flintoff and now its Brett Lee (c'mon we all know he won't give away his awesome IPL deal to play for Australia and get injured again, esp when they publicly hint they don't need him). Its funny to see boards and fans from other countries constantly criticize the IPL and then refuse a window when the ball is in their court.

[Sachinism]

Sore Lee 'may never bowl another ball Brett Lee has conceded that he might never bowl again, although he has not completely given up hope of returning to international cricket. Lee is recovering from elbow surgery that he described as the most painful he had ever encountered and he remains uncertain of when or if he will be able to resume bowling. The operation in early December ruled Lee out of Australia's entire home summer of Tests and ODIs and he has not played at any level since mid-November. Lee, 33, last walked out in a Test team in December 2008 and while he remains an important one-day player when fit, he knows his future depends on how he recovers from his latest injury. "As far as my cricket goes, anything is possible," Lee told the Herald Sun. "I may play one-dayers, or no cricket at all. I may never bowl another ball and if that's the case, I'm so satisfied with my career and my longevity. I'm not saying it's definitely over, but I'm not sure what I want to be just yet. "To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure what I still want to do in my cricketing life. I need to get to the stage where, if I want to, I can do what I need to do on the field. If it's the case that I don't play again, well, that's the case. There is a part of me that would like to play some sort of cricket again." Lee has endured plenty of injuries over his decade-long international career but has still found time to take 310 Test wickets at 30.81 and 324 ODI wickets at 23.01. However, he said the elbow problem was proving especially tough to get over. "This has been the hardest surgery I've been through," he said. "It's certainly been the most painful. There's no miracle treatment for me. It's taking time. I still don't know when I'll be able to bowl again. I can't even give you an exact time. I will see how the arm pulls up because I can't achieve any aspirations in cricket unless my body is functional." With Lee and his fellow senior fast man Stuart Clark both enduring long periods on the sidelines, Australia's fast-bowling depth has been tested this summer and the results have been promising. Lee said he would consider talking to Australia's captain Ricky Ponting when deciding whether to retire or attempt to regain his place in the team. http://www.cricinfo.com/australia/content/story/448474.html

[urbestfriend]

I have always enjoyed him running in and bowl fast. A great cricketer and a joy to watch when in full flow. Hope he recovers and come back to international scene and give fans like me another opportunity to watch him

[Show_stopper]

tata.

[King Tendulkar]

Very sad news that he may never bowl again. Top bowler and one of the few aussies who conducts himself with class as well. Can't believe people are taking the mick him

[achilles]

Very sad news. It is unfortunate to see him in the position he is right now. He is one of the very few likeable Aussies. Hope he recovers fast

[Fontaine]

Tough break for Lee. I was never a big fan of his but he did bowl with a lot of fire and pace. If he does retire then it'll have been a very very good career.

[graphic23]

Tough break for Lee. I was never a big fan of his but he did bowl with a lot of fire and pace. If he does retire then it'll have been a very very good career.

I'll disagree. Apart from his debut series vs. India in '99 and the 2 series vs. SL and India in 2007-08, I cant remember many times when he's been lethal for a fast bowler. I mainly remember him getting whooped by Laxman, Tendulkar, and Dravid in the 03-04 series. And (thanks to Salil for these stats!), he hasn't done a whole lot apart from averaging 40 in the Ashes either. I think it will have been a good career with some sparks of brilliance in between.