We all know Brett Lee used to be the second fastest bowler in world cricket, just behind the ‘Rawalpindi Express’, Shoaib Akhtar. Lee, with his extreme pace in his deliveries used to generate raw bounce from any pitch which sometimes proved to be too much for any batsman.
Lets take a look at 5 such Brett Lee’s life threatening bouncers which might have resulted in the death of the batsmen :
1) Victim – Shivnarine Chanderpaul –
A lethal bouncer from Brett Lee struck the West Indian batsmen right at the back of the helmet and immediately knocked him unconscious. All the players in the field and medical staff rushed towards the Chanderpaul as the latter was lying senselessly on the crease. Thankfully he regained his conscious after a few scary moments and the match was restarted.
Chanderpaul clearly did not see that coming, did he?
2) Victim – Rahul Dravid
Another legend from India was struck by a Brett Lee bouncer. A sharp bouncer struck Dravid right on the back of his head, where there was no helmet protection available. Dravid instantly opened his helmet and started pressing the hit region, as a sign that it caused him immense pain and walked out of the field without further delay. Although there was no bloodshed and he was smiling, he must have been very lucky to have averted an accident quite similar to Phil Hughes one.
Brett Lee showed even ‘The Wall’ was crackable!
3. Victim – Brendon McCullum
Both Brett Lee and Brendon McCullum might have enjoyed some on-field battle that they will cherish throughout their lives but this is one incident that they both will remember for a very long time. In a Big Bash League match, Lee’s fast and brutal struck McCullum so badly that the latter, in spite of wearing a helmet, started bleeding from the nose. McCullum bleed for a long time before finally walking out of the field retired hurt.
One ‘bloody’ encounter really!
4. Victim – Michael Papps
This time it was a Kiwi batsman, Michael Papps who had to endure the deadly bouncers from Lee not once but twice. Although Papps was able to walk away with the first one, the second one struck him so hard that he had to be given some on-field treatment and forced him to leave the match and walk out.
Thank god there was something called helmet. Or else ?!
5. Victim – Alex Tudor
This incident has got to be the deadliest bouncers of from Lee which caused the ugliest injuries. English tail-ender Tudor’s skull was almost crushed by this vicious bouncer from Lee. Tudor instantly fell on the ground, with blood streaming out of his head and had to be carried away from the field in a stretcher with his entire skull heavily bandaged!
Tudor might have been just sheer lucky to have he ditched some serious injury, might even be death !