Despite Australia’s semifinal loss in the WCL 2025, Brett Lee won hearts with a touching gesture to a Punjabi kid. The interaction showcased the spirit of cricket beyond the game, solidifying Lee’s admired status among fans worldwide.
The former Australia pace bowling legend Brett Lee won the hearts with his heartfelt gesture to a Punjabi Kid during the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 semifinal between Australia and South Africa Champions at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Thursday, July 31.
Australia Champions were knocked out of the WCL following their heartbreaking 1-run defeat to South Africa Champions. With a target of 187, Australia were restricted to 185/7, falling just two runs short of achieving the target, despite Dan Christian’s unbeaten innings of 49 off 29 balls, which nearly pulled off a miraculous finish for Australia Champions in a nail-biting finish in the semifinal.
In the semifinal, Brett Lee managed to take one wicket of Morne van Wyk and conceded 23 runs at an economy rate of 8 in 3 overs. The pace bowling legend was not in his vintage rhythm with the ball, as he was taken by South African batters to the cleaners.
Brett Lee’s heartwarming gesture
Though Brett Lee failed to deliver with the ball and Australia’s Champions heartbreakingly lost to South Africa in the semifinal, the Australian pacer made headlines off the field with a heartfelt gesture to a Punjab Kid in the stands of the Edgbaston Stadium.
As Lee was signing autographs and clicking pictures with the spectators following the semi-final defeat at Edgbaston, a kid of Punjabi descent spotted Lee, who folded his hands as soon as he saw him and greeted him. The Punjab kid greeted the Australian pacer back by saying ‘Sat Sri Akaal’, which is a traditional Sikh greeting meaning ‘God is the eternal truth.’
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The heartwarming gesture by Brett Lee showcased the spirit of cricket that goes beyond the boundary lines. The Australian pace bowling legend has a strong fan following in India, despite having terrified the Indian batters with his venomous pace and aggression during his playing days.
His humility with Indian fans, not just in India but across the world, makes him the most admired foreign cricketer.
How did Brett Lee perform in WCL 2025?
Brett Lee did not have an ideal season in the recently concluded edition of the World Championship of Legends, as he picked just five wickets at an average of 36.40 and an average of 9.07 in six matches.
Lee’s best performance of the same came against West Indies, where he registered figures of 1/20 at an economy rate of 6.66 in 3 overs. However, Brett Lee had his best outing in the first edition of the WCL last year, scalping nine wickets at an average of 22.88 and an economy rate of 10.47.
Lee is no longer in his lethal best as age has naturally taken a toll on his pace and sharpness. But during his time, he was one of the lethal pacers the cricket world had ever seen.
At the time of his retirement in 2012, Brett was the third-leading wicket-taker for Australia across all formats, scalping 718 wickets, including 31 four-wicket hauls and 19 fifers, at an average of 26.66 and an economy rate of 4.06.