Dennis Lillee - a champion fast bowler became coach on retirement

By A.C. de Silva

CRICKET: Australian speedstar of some years back - Dennis Lillee was a champion at his job and when one looks at a picture of him, you're at once struck by his wonderful physique, his classic side-on action. He was not born with these gifts, but he developed them by sweating it out and keeping to a tight training schedule.

His full name is Dennis Keith Lillee, but was known as Dennis Lillee. He was an outstanding fast bowler and made his appearance for Australia with tremendous force. He made his appearance against England at the Adelaide oval in the 1970-71 series taking 5 wickets for 40 runs and none for 84 in the drawn Test. His first victim was Allan Knott who was caught by Ian Redpath for seven.

Though he retired from cricket, he did not fade away. He stamped his name in the annals of Australian cricket by capturing 355 wickets in 70 Tests a feat not reached by any other Australian bowler until Shane Warne did so recently. Lillee took 5 wkts in an innings 23 times and 19 wickets in a match seven times.

After having made his debut in the Sixth Test against England at Adelaide in the 1970-71 series. He was one of Australia's greatest fast bowlers and was formally inducted into ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. (Hall of Fame, run in association with the Federation of International Cricketers Association (FICA) recognises some of the truly great players from cricket's long and illustrious history.

Best of attack

He was the best of Australia's attack for more than a decade after making his debut in January 1971 against England in Adelaide where he made his mark by taking 5 for 124. He was an enigma for England as he took 167 wickets at an average of 21.00 in the Ashes. Lillee was picked "Widen Cricketer of the Year 1973".

He had a smooth action and was graceful and rhythmic to bowl a near perfect line and length and it was not easy for batsman to take liberties facing upto him. There was consistency in his bowling and he commanded the respect from the batsmen.

At the beginning of his career, he was very fast, but he had to cut down in his pace because of injury. He studied the batsman and adapted his bowling and thereafter planned his attack.

There were great fast bowlers in post-war cricket. First it was Ray Lindwall - Keith Miller combination for Australia and then it turned to Dennis Lillee - Jeff Thomson combination. The second pair of bowlers that's Thomson and Lillee held the stage for over 10 years and had the batsmen in tight cheeck.

But Lillee had a growing problem with a back injury which played up time and again and as a result he was compelled to retire from big-time cricket.

However, it was not the end for Lillee at cricket. Though he was unable to play active cricket, he did the next best thing - he turned coach. He became very useful coach and gave valuable advice to youngsters who had the idea of becoming fast bowlers. Besides being an adviser, he was a regular at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai and coached the young Indian youngsters in the correct art of pace bowling.

Became a coach

Lillee's coaching was not only in India. He also conducted coaching sessions at the MRF Pace Australia at the WACA.

He also appeared on Radio and TV regarding bowling. When Shane Warne surpassed Lillee's haul of 355 wickets he was the first to congratulate Warne.

Lillee remains as a father to young up-and-coming fast bowlers and the great fast bowler used to go out of his way to train the young would-be pacemen.

Test bowling figures of Dennis Lillee: 18,467 balls, 8,493 runs, 355 wickets with average: 23.92.

Cricketers like Dennis Lillee are not born everyday and the services he has rendered should be treasured for many years to come.

After retiring from International Cricket he became a noted fast bowling coach.

Special 'word' for Hadlee

The fast bowling supremo and the thorn of batsmen - Dennis Lillee had a special present for Richard Hadlee - a bottle of champagne. A master was acknowledging the best of another in that bubbly tribute. Here Lillee pays one in his own words to the bowler who stands on a Test-wickets peak all his own.

"I am very happy for Richard Hadlee. No one could have deserved a world record more. It does not bother me in the least that the record I had set (355) has been broken both by Ian Botham and Richard Hadlee and now Hadlee has it his own.

"I have always believed that records are meant to be broken! The record was not always what I strove for. There is more to cricket than these records and statistics.

"I am not saying I was not happy when I set the world record. I only wish to say that I am equally happy when someone else breaks the record. If Hadlee is not the best he is certainly one of the best. As far as he is concerned I cannot think of a better bowler to have got this far.

"Hadlee is an allround bowler. He bowls pace, swing and seam. I have seen him bowl well in different conditions in New Zealand, in England and in Australia. To do that you have to be a good allround bowler.

When you are playing around the world you are likely to come across conditions which do not suit or the other types of bowing. So you have got to be good enough to be able to get wickets anywhere." said Lillee.

Solid foundation necessary

When Lillee started his coaching in Madras, he said: "To be a good pace bowler, you have to have a solid foundation. When I was in my early teens I would have been happy if I had an opportunity to talk to and work with men like Keith Miller and Ray Lindwall. It would have helped me become a better bowler early on".

At the school, Lillee said: "Our aim is to find express bowlers," Lillee draws a clear distinction. "And to be an express bowler it takes hard work, and willingness to work hard is very important."

"If you can bowl fast in India, you can bowl fast anywhere. Isn't that an incentive, "Lillee asked.

But someone asked: "But what about the physical aspect? Aren't Indians at a disadvantage in terms of physique, stamina and strength, "When I first started in first class cricket as a 19-year-old, I weighed just 147 lbs. Diet plays an important role and we will be concentrating on it along with physical training and building up stamina." Lillee said.

From his early times Lillee was prepared to learn. One of his earliest lessons that he was taught came in the Australian summer of 1971-72 against Rest of the World side. The young firebrand sent as many shivers down batsmen's spine as had Harold Larwood in the Bodyline series and one of Lillee's principal victims in the early phase of that series had been an ageing allrounder who then chose to split his time between golf and cricket.

Memories came flooding back to Lillee. Someone asked: "How did you let Gary Sobers hit 254 in Melbourne after getting him out easily earlier on. Lillee laughed. He said: 'let' Gary Sobers score runs. He scored when he wants. Can you dictate to genius? And this was a cricketing genius spelt with a capital G.