Brett Lee shares valuable tips for becoming good fast bowlers

Australian bowling legend Brett Lee, probably one of the fastest ever to bowl in cricketing history, took time out of his schedule and interacted with his fans sharing some valuable tips which could help budding cricketers become more successful. One of the most important aspects of the game, apart from the on-field skills, is the mental toughness. Lee emphasised on this fact and stated that being mentally tough is perhaps the most crucial fact in achieving the goal as a cricketer

“From me, mental is definitely the key to success. They say 80-20, eighty percent metal and twenty percent ability. To me it was always about the game. I was 100 percent mentally prepared in order to get through the grilling 5 days of Test cricket.”

Fast bowling is definitely not an easy job to do. So, therefore, they are probably required to be mentally prepared than no one else. Lee also went to elaborate the psychological factor a bit more and spoke at length about the techniques he used during his career. He also suggested using visualisation method as a method of preparing to bowl fast and keep yourself motivated.

“It was about getting psyched up to for the moment. It came naturally. I really enjoyed getting out there and bowl fast. You really have to push through a lot of different pain barrier. You have got blisters, your back might be sore. You might be carrying fracture or two. But, I liked getting out there and getting the job done.”

“What I did to lift my spirits was just to take my baggy green cap and have look at it. You feel very very proud to be a part of what we call the ‘fabric.’”

His discussion was not only about mental aspects of the game. The master also dropped a few tips regarding how to read the batsman and bowl accordingly.

“When you are watching the batsman, you watch at his feet. Look where it is moving, if he is stepping away, you know he might be scared if it’s a guy batting at No. 8, 9 or 10. If the guy is pressing forward, you might give him a short ball. If he is going onto the backfoot, you might know he would be deep into the crease and can nick him off. So, there are lots of different things to look forward.”