ICC World Cup: Virat must learn art of not over-dominating, feels Brett Lee

Melbourne Australian fast bowling great Brett Lee feels that Indias number one batsman Virat Kohli is still on a learning curve and he should try and curb his natural affinity for aggressive strokeplayAlthough an admirer of Kohlis batting Lee said the feisty batsman would do well not to assert himself too much and explained the difference he felt in the youngsters game from the iconic Sachin TendulkarVirat Kohli Pic AFPSachin knew his game better as you would expect with his wealth of experience He used to play within himself For me Virat is a class player but he is still on a learning curve He has to learn the art of not trying to overdominate opposition the 38yearold Aussie great told PTI in an exclusive interviewLee feels that Indian team could be semifinal contenders if they can get their act together My other picks are Australia New Zealand and South Africa The fastest bowler in world cricket in his heydays Lee did admit his bias towards Australian pacers playing in this edition of megaevent even though he singled out Umesh Yadav as a talented bowlerFor me the pacers to look out for in the World Cup will be Mitchell Johnson Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood Keeping World Cup aside I really like Umesh Yadav of India he has the pace and the temperament said Lee who played 76 Tests and 221 ODIs for AustraliaAsked about what went wrong with the Indian pace attack during the Test series against Australia Lee was frank in his assessment I dont think they Indian pacers have been consistent enough In the Test series they would bowl good periods but let the batsman off the hook I also feel that they needed to win the pivotal moments They needed to get the tail out that is where Australia won the Tests matchesSpeaking about how he found fast bowling such an engaging aspect of the game of cricket Lee said There is an excitement about fast bowling Batsmen feel truly tested playing genuine pace bowling and the crowds enjoy the speed of it all As a bowler I enjoyed the challenge Many bowling coaches believe that pace is an overrated virtue but Lee begs to differ on that aspectI enjoyed pace I always said if I couldnt bowl 150 kmph I wouldnt play cricket That said I had learnt that there were times when I needed to pull back and bowl within myself The length is important but it is better if you are hitting it at 150 kmph said LeeLee who has more than 700 international wickets acrossthree formats believes that it is the length that varies according to the speed of pitch and due diligence must be given to the conditions You have to size up the conditions every time you bowl Yes you can have your favourite ground I loved bowling at the WACA Perth But one needs to understand that line and length changes are based on the speed of the pitchSpeaking on world class batsman among his contemporaries Lee instantly named Tendulkar Brian Lara and Jacques Kallis as players who posed serious challenge for him Sachin Lara and Kallis were the three best batsmen I have ever bowled to When Sachin used to bat it felt as if he had so much time to play his shots Brian was a player who could hit any delivery at any part of the ground such was his talent Jacques was also class apart But the hardest hitter of cricket ball during my time was undoubtedly Chris Cairns Lee said in effusive praise for his contemporariesFor him the most cherished battle was against Lara in a Test match against the West Indies in Georgetown back in 2003 I remember bowling to Lara in the West Indies one yearGuyana 2003 I bowled a long spell and definitely one of my quickest It was a fantastic battle of bat against ball Brian got his hundred but he told me after the game that it was one of his toughest moments and that is why he Lara played Test cricket for battles like thatNow ready for his stint as a commentator and occasional bowling mentor he had worked with Ireland for this World Cup Lee is a content man and grateful for the opportunities that he got Its been an enjoyable journey I appreciate the opportunities that cricket has given me I am fortunate to have met people and made a living out of the game he saidLee retired from Test cricket back in 2008 with 310 wickets from 76 games and has no complaints about it He doesnt think that he quit Test cricket early No I retired when I thought it was best I am indeed very proud of having played 76 Test matches