Today New Zealand crowds will get their final chance to see Australian speedster Brett Lee in action in the HRV Cup.
The 34 year old fast bowler was a star signing for the Hell Wellington Firebirds, playing four games for the side. Even though the competition has been tight, the Firebirds won’t be progressing through to the final and today’s game against the Otago Volts will be the last fixture for the Firebirds for Lee this season.
He came into the HRV Cup hoping to take a few wickets and to grab the attention of the Australian selectors. His goal is to gain a place back in the international side for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. He’s also eying up a contract for the upcoming IPL. His reserve for the IPL auction in January is $400,000.
Lee saw the HRV Cup as an opportunity to experience a new environment and get back into form. “I obviously wanted to do the best I could by taking wickets and scoring runs but I have also enjoyed the challenge of being in a different environment and team,” he said.
Although the Firebirds have been dogged by bad weather during Lee's time in New Zealand, he has enjoyed some highlights, including a 1/21 performance off three overs against the Northern Knights to help Wellington grab a big win.
He has also enjoyed seeing old foes in opposition teams. Lee has played 76 Test matches for Australia and during that time he faced the BLACKCAPS on a number of occasions. “It’s been great playing against guys I used to play Test cricket against like Jamie How and Jacob Oram,” he said. “It was also nice to see Shane Bond watching from the sideline.”
Lee stepped down from Test cricket two years ago and now is focusing on the shorter formats of the game. He’s played around the world, in a range of different competitions, including the IPL for the Kings XI Punjab. He said he is impressed by the level of competition in New Zealand. “The standard of competition here has been good with both the bat and ball,” Lee said.
He has also immersed himself in the Firebirds culture and has enjoyed his time with the Wellington based side. “The Firebirds are a really good bunch of guys and I’ve really enjoyed the experience here.”
