Brett Lee feared being blinded
Shyam Bhatia
India Abroad correspondent in London
Australian fast bowler Brett Lee has revealed how he feared for his sight
after a fire cracker exploded close to him during Tuesday's one-day match
with Pakistan at Trent Bridge.
Australia lost the match by 36 runs after scoring 254 all out. The two
sides are due to meet again on Saturday at Lord's in the NatWest
series final.
Lee's worry that he could have been blinded comes amid the continuing
debate on player safety that has been sparked off by pitch invasions at
Edgbaston and Headingley.
Alec Stewart has called for fines of upto 10,000 pounds for unruly
behaviour and ICC Chief Executive Dave Richards has warned how grounds that
persistently fail to control the crowds could lose their right to stage
international matches.
On the eve of the one-day series final at Lord's, Lee recalled his fears at
Trent Bridge, where he was fielding at the fine leg boundary when a fire
cracker sailed over his head and landed only a few feet away.
He was apparently targeted by a supporter among the Pakistani fans crowding
together underneath the main electronic scoreboard. Immediately afterwards
Aussie skipper Steve Waugh took his team off the pitch for 20 minutes until
they were reassured about their safety.
Lee, who is calling for stepped up security during the forthcoming Lord's
clash, said, "There had been firecrackers going off for 42 overs but they
were going off in the stands which didn't worry me too much.
"But then one exploded only a couple of feet from my head and I was worried
about my eyes and sight all the time.
"I was just hoping that if I had to go for a catch down there that I
wouldn't get one of those things going off right in my face. It was a
pretty scary thing for me to deal with.
"I also had my glasses on top of my head and was conscious of the fact that
if one of those firecrackers goes off right next to your eyes it could
cause you permanent damage to your sight.
"The majority of the fans were great. It's only a handful of people causing
the problem."
Meanwhile, Waugh has castigated the mob that provoked him to stage his walk
out at Trent Bridge and invaded the pitch following the end of the match.
"The stewards tried their best to contain things but you can't control
idiots, can you?" he said afterwards."You saw the way they behaved after
the game and people shouldn't be allowed to spend £15 to come to a cricket
match and think they can do what they want."