Brett Lee Turns 50: Remembering Australia's Speed King

Brett Lee turned 50 on 8 November, and for a lot of cricket fans, that number is hard to believe. The blond fast bowler who ran in with a huge smile and bowled at over 150 kilometres an hour is now half a century old, but the memories of his speed are as fresh as ever. Fans across the world filled social media with wishes and old clips for the man everyone calls Binga.

Lee was born on 8 November 1976 in Wollongong, New South Wales, and burst onto the international stage during the Boxing Day Test against India at the MCG in December 1999. He took five wickets on debut, and few debuts in Australian cricket history have announced a bowler so clearly. He picked up 42 wickets in his first seven Tests, and for a while it looked like he would break every record in sight.

Injuries slowed him down in the middle of his career, first with an elbow problem and then with repeated trouble in his ankles. Even so, he finished with 310 wickets in 76 Tests, which made him one of Australia's most successful Test bowlers, with a best of 5 for 30. He stepped away from Tests in 2009 after missing the Ashes with a side strain, hoping to extend his limited-overs career, and in 2012 he retired from all international cricket.

It was in one day cricket that he really stood out. He played 221 ODIs and took 380 wickets, a number that is level with Glenn McGrath as the highest by any Australian. He debuted in the format against Pakistan at the Gabba in January 2000, and his greatest hour came in the 2003 World Cup in South Africa, where he took 22 wickets for an Australian team that went through the tournament without losing a match. That included a five-wicket haul against New Zealand and a hat-trick against Kenya, which made him the first Australian bowler to take a hat-trick at a World Cup.

He was also a trailblazer in the shortest format. In the first ever T20 World Cup in 2007, he took a hat-trick against Bangladesh at Newlands in Cape Town, which was the first of its kind in the tournament's history. Along with the 2003 World Cup, he also won the Champions Trophy in 2006 and 2009 with Australia, and he ended his T20 international career with 28 wickets.

Of course, the most famous number linked to him is his speed. In a 2005 ODI against New Zealand, he was clocked at 161.1 kilometres an hour, one of the fastest deliveries ever recorded in international cricket and just behind the best figure held by Shoaib Akhtar. That same game included a six-over spell of three wickets for five runs, with four of the overs bowled as maidens. Batters who faced him often said the ball arrived before they could finish picking up the line.

His career had some lovely finishing touches as well. He retired from the Big Bash League after playing in the final for the Sydney Sixers on 28 January 2015, and in a thrilling last over, he bowled two batters with successive deliveries and was on a hat-trick with the sixth ball. Away from the field, he became known as a friendly commentator, a coach and a mentor for young pace bowlers, and he plays in a rock band, Six and Out, together with his brother Shane.

Other moments from 8 November are worth a look too. In 1987, Australia won their first World Cup at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, beating England by seven runs in the final after making 253, with David Boon scoring 75 and winning Man of the Match. England were comfortable at 135 for 2 until Mike Gatting top-edged a reverse sweep off Allan Border, and the match swung from there, with Steve Waugh removing Allan Lamb. In 1999, India made 376 for 2 against New Zealand in Hyderabad, with Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid sharing a 331 run partnership, a record in ODIs at the time. Ireland's wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien, hero of the 2007 World Cup win over Pakistan, was also born on this day in 1981.

For now, though, the day belongs to Binga. At 50, Brett Lee is still remembered as the fast bowler who made batters nervous and fans happy. Happy birthday, Brett. Follow Cricrox for more cricket stories, records and daily updates.