Fast bowler, fan favourite
Instant impact: Brett Lee came into the Test arena with a fearsome reputation as a tearaway, and in his first innings he ripped through India at the MCG in 1999•Hamish Blair/Getty Images
Action reaction: In his first year of international cricket, his bowling action comes under review, but is later cleared by an ICC panel •Getty Images
Allrounder? Lee was also a capable lower-order batsman, reviving Australia on several occasions with his cavalier batting. His first Man of the Match award in Tests, against New Zealand in 2001, was as much for his battling 61 as his six wickets •william west/Getty Images
On the world stage: Brett Lee was one of the star performers at the 2003 World Cup. One of the highlights was a five-for against New Zealand, followed by a hat-trick against eventual semi-finalists Kenya•Getty Images
Two runs too much: Perhaps the most famous cricketing photograph of the decade. Brett Lee was the unbeaten batsman at the Edgbaston Test as Australia went down by two runs, and one of the all-time great Test series was levelled at 1-1•Getty Images
Breaking new ground: At the World Twenty20 in 2007, Lee becomes the first bowler to take a hat-trick in the format, as Australia crush Bangladesh by nine wickets in Cape Town •Gianluigi Guerica/AFP/Getty Images
Another global title: The injuries are catching up with Lee, but he still plays a role in Australia's Champions Trophy victory in 2009•Getty Images
Last World Cup chance: Despite spending much of 2010 on the sidelines due to injuries, Lee fulfills his dream of making it to the 2011 World Cup. Australia's stranglehold on the trophy though finally came to an end, as they were defeated by India•Getty Images
Twenty20 future: Though he quit the international game, Lee decides he will continue to play Twenty20 franchise cricket, having already won the BBL and the IPL in 2012•Getty Images
One-day wonder: Lee is a strong contender for a place in an all-time one-day XI. In his first series, he rattled India with a five-for in Adelaide•Getty Images
Sing and swing: Off the field, Lee jammed with his music band, Six and Out, which also featured four of his New South Wales team-mates. In 2007, he wrote and recorded the song "You're the One For Me", which reached number two on the Indian charts. (Pic: Performing with Australian rock band, The Nevilles)•Tony Lewis/ALLSPORT
Fastest in the world: Fires down a 157.4kph delivery against South Africa in Cape Town to be officially recognised as the quickest bowler around, temporarily eclipsing Shoaib Akhtar. Lee later hit 160.8kph in 2005, the fastest delivery of his career•Getty Images
World Cup winner: Australia retained the world crown without dropping a game in 2003. It proved to be Brett Lee's only World Cup success, as yet another injury ruled him out of the 2007 event•Getty Images
Ghosts of Edgbaston: Less than a year after the narrow defeat at Edgbaston in 2005, Lee and Kasprowicz are together at the end to complete a tense two-wicket victory over South Africa in Johannesburg. Lee's unbeaten 24 in the second innings, complements a fighting 64 in the first, that significantly cut South Africa's lead•Getty Images
Test best: Given the responsibility of leading the Test attack after the retirement of Glenn McGrath, Lee responds with his best summer of cricket, being named Man of the Series in the contests against both India and Sri Lanka in 2007-08, and also pocketing the Allan Border medal •Quinn Rooney/Getty Images
New South Wales jackpot: In the 2009 Champions League T20 final, Trinidad & Tobago were looking unstoppable when Lee changed the course of the game with a stunning all-round performance that earned NSW $2.5 million•Global Cricket Ventures-BCCI
The final match: Appendicitis and a broken foot force him to him miss more matches, but he extends his career well into 2012, hoping to make the World Twenty20. A calf injury on the tour of England, though, puts an end to his chances•Getty Images
Injury troubles: Lee would have ended up with many more wickets and matches under his belt had it not been for innumerable injuries. One of his major early problems was an elbow surgery in 2001•Getty Images
Fear factor: The Lee bouncer has troubled many a batsman, and one of the most memorable moments was when he felled Alex Tudor in the Perth Test of 2002•Hamish Blair/Getty Images
Signature celebration: His leaping, heel-clicking move to signal a wicket was one of the most distinctive celebrations around•Hamish Blair/Getty Images
Ashes regained: Lee takes 20 wickets in five Tests as Australia sweep England 5-0 in 2006-07, only the second time in history that an Ashes series had ended with that scoreline•Getty Images
Caribbean cruise: The success continues when Australia tour West Indies in 2008, when Lee takes 18 wickets in three Tests •AFP
End of the Test road: Lee retires from Test cricket in February 2010 after admitting his body could no longer handle the demands of the five-day game. He finishes as Australia's fourth-highest wicket-taker in the format with 310 scalps•Getty Images
Limited-overs retirement: He ends a stellar career in July 2012, finishing equal with Glenn McGrath for Australia in one-day internationals with 380 wickets•Getty Images