September 26 Thursday 2002
Lee believes new role makes him more effective 

COLOMBO: Australia fast bowler Brett Lee believes his new role in one-day cricket under new captain Ricky Ponting has made him more effective. 

Under former captain Steve Waugh, Lee was encouraged to bowl as fast as he could since he boasted one of the best strike-rates in history. 

But by the time Ponting took charge in March for the tour of South Africa, Lee also had an economy rate nudging five runs per over.  That figure was too high for the new captain -- who said so publicly -- and Lee has responded with net practice that has yielded greater control while not reducing his pace or effectiveness.  "I took it as constructive criticism," Lee said on Wednesday during a break in preparations for Friday's Champions Trophy semi-final against Sri Lanka.  "I knew there were things I had to work on and I think I've done that.  "In the past I've just run in and tried to bowl as fast as I can, not worrying about the outcome, and that's when I tended to bowl at my best.

COLOMBO: Australia's Glenn McGrath practises his batting in the nets in preparation for their country's upcoming semifinal match of the ICC Chamions Trophy Tournament against Sri Lanka

"That might still be the way to go in tests but Ricky (Ponting) expected different things, we sat down and from a team point of view I knew what I had to do. 

"Now I'm still there to take wickets and I'm not holding back on the pace because that is my main asset. 

"I've been working hard in the nets for the past six months, concentrating on line and length and getting the ball through to Gilly (Adam Gilchrist)," Lee added. 

"I've reduced my runs per over but I've still been taking a lot of wickets lately and I'm really comfortable with my role in the side." 

That role is to back up the new-ball pairing of Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie, a duo who invariably shuts down the opposition run-flow in the first 15 overs. 

If they do keep things quiet, Lee's task of maintaining control is even more important. 

Early indications from the recent one-day series against Kenya and Pakistan are that he has been able to do just that. 

He claimed eight victims in four matches to maintain a career strike-rate of almost two wickets a game. But perhaps more importantly he only conceded 3.37 runs per over during the series. 

After two matches of the Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka, Lee's career statistics stand at 82 wickets from 45 matches with an economy rate heading in the right direction at 4.79 runs per over. 

But his new-found control will come under it's toughest test yet on Friday when he comes up against Sri Lanka, with their destructive opening batsman Sanath Jayasuriya always capable of ruining a bowler's figures. 

"I've never played against Sri Lanka but I hope Jason (Gillespie) or Glenn (McGrath) knock him (Jayasuriya) over before I get on," joked Lee. 

"He (Jayasuriya) is a world-class batsman and I know he hits it hard, but that shouldn't change our game. "There are a few things we might try to counter that but it is a matter of sticking to our game-plans and not getting caught up in what they are doing. 

"If we can play the way we have been doing over the past month then I think we have got a red-hot chance of beating them," added Lee. 

Australia have reported no injury problems ahead of Friday's match, with batsman Damien Martyn now fully recovered from the hip injury that caused him to miss the nine-wicket win over Bangladesh. The winners of Friday's semi-final will face India or South Africa in Sunday's final.