Bumrah reminds me of Thomson: Brett Lee

Nothing excited Brett Lee more than running in and bowling fast. One of the most feared pacers in his heyday, the Australian never compromised on speed. “If your top seed is 148kmph, you have to try to hit that mark every time you bowl. And that’s what I did throughout my career,” said Lee.

The 39-year-old, who is here as mentor of Kanchi Warriors in the Tamil Nadu Premier League, spoke about India’s fast bowling scene among other topics.

Which Indian bowler has impressed you the most in recent times I like Jasprit Bumrah. His action is unique. I think he can definitely get a lot faster, if he fixes up his front arm. His current technique works for him though. Not many can try and copy his action. Bumrah is a bit like Thommo (Jeff Thomson). I like Bumrah’s aggression. Among spinners, Ashwin has been world-class. He is not a traditional off-spinner who throws the ball aloft and waits for the batsmen to make mistakes.

The cricket world is in awe of Virat Kohli. Your thoughts on him... He would have hit me all over the park had we faced each other. At this moment, he is the world’s best batsman. I love his controlled aggression. It’s in your face, but not over the top. He puts his team ahead of everything else. His technique is incredible. If you look back two or three years, Kohli used to be fragile outside the off-stump. Now he has overcome that issue.