'Blood, sweat and tears' for quicks - Lee

Brett Lee closed in on Glenn McGrath's record with a
brace against Ireland.

At 35 and having retired from Test cricket, Brett Lee stands on the verge of becoming Australia's leading wicket taker in one-day Internationals.

He insists, though, that he isn't motivated by the prospect of breaking Glenn McGrath's record of 381 wickets during the upcoming series against England - after closing the gap with two wickets against Ireland in Belfast - and in the latest edition of Alison's Tea Break he explains how he is now acting as a mentor to the younger bowlers coming through.

Speaking to host Alison Mitchell, Lee touches on the depth of fast bowling in Australia cricket at the moment, saying he is excited by what James Pattinson and Pat Cummins have to offer with a Test series against South Africa coming up later this year, followed by back-to-back Ashes.

He warns, though, of the "blood, sweat and tears" that it takes to be a fast bowler, particularly with the amount of cricket that is played now, and says that bowlers in particular must be prepared "to do what's best for the team" should management decide to rest and rotate players.

As far as Lee's own future is concerned, he has set no time frame as to when he might step away from the international scene. "As long as I'm doing my job and being an asset to the Australian cricket team and helping the young guys come through, and still enjoying my cricket, then I'll keep playing for a few more games and we'll see what happens after that. Whether that's three months or twelve months or eighteen months, who knows."