CommentsIt's a selection that might possibly turn out to be a close-run affair, but Dennis Lillee will have to be anyone's first choice for the fast bowler's slot in an all-time Australian XI.
Simply put, he remains one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game.
During much of his international career, which stretched from 1971 to 1984, he was also one of the leading personalities in the game - colourful and controversial.
A glorious action (seen here) was at the heart of his success.
Lillee was a superbly controlled fast bowler with a long run-up leading to a magnificent final leap and a full-blooded, no-holds barred delivery. He provided a splendid spectacle for the game's watchers, but was a fearsome prospect for batsmen, more so as he varied the direction of his swing and speed intelligently.
Blessed with fine physique, courage and exceptional stamina, his belligerence amounted almost to hatred. He was a master showman, but also one who too often appeared to display a vicious streak. The result was that he blotted his copybook with unacceptable behaviour on quite a few occasions. But that was all part of Lillee's personality.
Frenzied supporters chanted "Lillee...Lillee" as he ran up to bowl and howled and cheered as he time and again proved too good for the best of batsmen using all the ammunition in a fast bowler's armoury and making particularly effective use of the bouncer and the yorker.
He first attracted international attention when he took eight for 29 against a Rest of the World XI on a fast Perth surface in 1971-72 as the star-studded side were shot out for 59.
In his first full series in England in 1972, he took 31 wickets in five Tests and it was clear that Australia had discovered a world-class fast bowler.
However, he broke down in the West Indies the following year with stress fractures in the back and question marks were raised over his future.
But Lillee was doughty as well as devastating and the story of his iron-willed recovery is one of the most inspiring in the history of sport.
He made a long and determined fightback to fitness and then joined forces with Jeff Thomson for the series against England in 1974-75. The two were quickly recognised as one of the most destructive fast-bowling partnerships in history.
Lillee took 25 wickets in six Tests despite bowling only six overs in the final game following a bruised right foot.
He followed this up with 21 wickets in four Tests in England in 1975.
He was also the match winner in the Centenary Test in Melbourne in 1977 with figures of 11 for 165.
It was only natural that Lillee would perform admirably in limited-overs cricket and he was one of the prominent players in World Series Cricket (WSC).
After the disbandment of WSC, he returned to the Test arena and to new triumphs.
Even as he grew older, he seemed to lose very little pace while gaining further control in swing and cut and this allied to his bristling aggression discomforted batsmen of all nationalities.
He surged past the 200-wicket mark, crossed Richie Benaud's all-time Australian mark of 248 wickets in 1980-81 and then with remarkable rapidity raced to 300 scalps before finally overtaking Lance Gibbs' tally of 309 wickets in 1981-82 to become the leading wicket-taker in Tests.
He stretched the record to 355 from 70 Tests before calling it a day.
Text: Partab Ramchand | Getty Images (Any unauthorised reproduction is prohibited)
