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Sydney: Australia's fast bowler Brett Lee should take a lesson from England all rounder Andrew Flintoff, and think about dignified retirement from Test cricket, according to a former cricketer and renowned newspaper columnist.
"Lee lost pace and even his temper as his captain looked elsewhere for wickets. But his struggle might just as easily have been the first signs of gradual deterioration. Lee's trajectory is slightly flat, and he relies on raw pace and swing. Bowlers of that type seldom age well," wrote Peter Roebuck.
"If Lee does not make it back, he can reflect on an outstanding and sometimes thrilling career. Always he brought spark to the team, not least in 2005, an ingredient missing this time.
"Perhaps it is premature to suggest his best days are behind him. After all, he led the attack admirably 18 months ago. He might have another match or two in him, even a series. But all the evidence suggest he needs to take a leaf out of Flintoff''s book, and think about a dignified withdrawal and life after Test cricket," he wrote.
The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Roebuck as saying that Lee has been more or less a passenger on two successive Test trips.
"Against the wishes of his captain, Lee was taken to India, and promptly failed to trouble the batsmen. Ponting felt Lee was not emotionally ready to join a touring party, with its bonhomie and intensity. Setbacks in his personal life had left him drained, and he looked gaunt," he added.
Lee's career hangs by a thread. If he does not play at The Oval, it's going to be a long haul back.
In the past 18 months, he has been effective in only one Test match, ripping the Kiwis apart with a scything spell last summer. Otherwise he has been injured or ignored or out of sorts.
