Lee Carseldine had to overcome a serious back problem and years of rehabilitation before winning a surprise recall for the Bulls in November 2007. From there things really took off and in 2008-09 he was the state's Ian Healy Trophy winner as their player of the season and was chosen in various Australian Cricketers' Association teams of the year. A versatile left-hander, he picked up 595 runs in the Sheffield Shield, 477 in the FR Cup at 43.36 and an incredible 298 in the Twenty20 competition, averaging 99.33 at a strike-rate of 134.84. Not only did the returns get him a spot in the Rajasthan Royals IPL side, but they also gained him the Bulls' Twenty20 and players' player prizes.

The follow-up season was more difficult as he became a marked man. He still managed 599 runs in the Shield, including a hard-working century in Sydney, and 464 in the FR Cup, but was forced to fight harder for his gains. He had less success in the Twenty20 tournament as Queensland finished third.

Carseldine had not represented the state since January 2004 when he benefited from a Queensland injury epidemic and was promoted to the one-day side in 2007. He scored 2, collected two wickets with his left-arm seam and was involved in an accidental tussle that broke Cameron White's foot. After the match he could not stop smiling at the good fortune of recovering from back surgery that included inserting a titanium disc in his spine. The operation didn't stop the pain straight away and he suffered septicaemia when one of the needles used for further tests was infected. "It could have been life-threatening," he said. "I was in bed for two weeks and basically couldn't move." Over the rest of the season he contributed in the FR Cup with 45 against South Australia, appeared in five Twenty20 fixtures and was soon back on Queensland's contract books.

Carseldine's first breakthrough as a senior player came with a fleeting first-class appearance against Tasmania in 1998-99 and then with berths in the state's semi-final and final teams of the 1999-2000 Mercantile Mutual Cup campaign. He went on to play 24 first-class matches, including being part of the 2000-01 Pura Cup win, before he was floored by the injury. Back then he was primarily a batsman, reaching a highest score of 124 not out, but he picked up eight wickets to average in the 30s with bat and ball. A scholar at the Academy in 1997, his body prevented him from achieving regular great things on the field, although he registered a century against New Zealand and two in the same match against India in 2003. In an interesting off-field career, he has an MBA and a masters in applied finance, has worked for a power station, run a gym and been a lifeguard.
Cricinfo staff August 2010