"It's official, I have retired from international cricket! Thanks for all your love and support. It's been an amazing 13 years," Lee said in his twitter account on Friday.
‘‘It has been a dream career, I guess, 13 years at the top. I couldn’t ask for much more,’’ Lee said to Channel Nine news earlier in the day.
"Thirteen years, Friday the 13th, it's appropriate for me to go," Lee said. ‘‘I woke up this morning after not much sleep and it’s the right time to go. It just came to me this morning and I just felt it’s the right time to leave the game. It’s been in the back of my mind for a few months," he added.
Though the Cricket Australia (CA) was keen for the 35-year-old speedster to continue until the upcoming World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, Lee decided to leave the game he was not physically and mentally fit to take the challenge.
"I thought I would go over there and try and play the Twenty20 World Cup [in Sri Lanka in September], but [being] mentally and physically challenged, it would just not be worth it," Lee said. "In a team environment you have to have 100 per cent commitment, mentally and physically. And looking at the next few months I just didn't have that desire any more. It wouldn't be fair on me or the team. You get to a point in life when enough's enough."
Lee, however, will continue to play in the Big Bash League and Indian Premier League.
The 35-year-old paceman, who retired from Test cricket in February 2010 to prolong his limited-overs cricket, injured his calf muscle in the recently concluded one-day international series against England and returned home early, along with allrounder Shane Watson - who suffered the same injury.
Lee was not awarded a central contract in the latest round of agreements by the CA and he declined to continue his stint with New South Wales.
Lee, who had side strains, stress fractures and ankle problems throughout his career, took 310 wickets in 76 Tests and clinched 380 wickets from 221 ODIs. He also represented Kings XI Punjab and is now part of Kolkata Knight Riders’ squad in the IPL.
Cricket Kenya have confirmed that the International Cricket Council (ICC) has launched an investigation into alleged spot-fixing by a Kenya player during a 2011 World Cup pool match against Pakistan. Kenya bowled a record-equaling 37 wides in that match in Hambantota en route to a 205-run hammering.
Tom Sears, the Cricket Kenya chief executive, told Press Association Sport that his body was aware of an investigation into the alleged fixing. "We have been told to refer all enquiries to the ICC, we are in contact with them and are aware that there is an investigation," he said. "Apart from that we can't say much more other than we will co-operate fully with the ICC over this."
The ICC, however, chose not to comment. "This is a matter for the (ICC's) Anti-Corruption Unit and is not something that we would comment on as a matter of policy,” said an ICC spokesperson.
Kenya fared poorly in the 2011 World Cup, failing to win a single Group A match. Following their dismal performance, Cricket Kenya launched a stern review of the team’s performance which resulted in several senior players not being offered new contracts.
Tom Sears, the Cricket Kenya chief executive, told Press Association Sport that his body was aware of an investigation into the alleged fixing. "We have been told to refer all enquiries to the ICC, we are in contact with them and are aware that there is an investigation," he said. "Apart from that we can't say much more other than we will co-operate fully with the ICC over this."
The ICC, however, chose not to comment. "This is a matter for the (ICC's) Anti-Corruption Unit and is not something that we would comment on as a matter of policy,” said an ICC spokesperson.
Kenya fared poorly in the 2011 World Cup, failing to win a single Group A match. Following their dismal performance, Cricket Kenya launched a stern review of the team’s performance which resulted in several senior players not being offered new contracts.
Now the sting operation by one news channel exposed that IPL matches are fixed and how that is happening, BCCI will started looking in to tapes. It will start look into the matter immediately Read Below.
The BCCI has responded to an IPL 5 match-fixing sting operation done by an Indian TV channel, saying they are examining the tapes to confirm whether the claims have any veracity. The board's honorary secretary Sanjay Jagdale released a statement a couple of hours after the news of the operation broke out.
"Some TV channels have been reporting a story pertaining to alleged unacceptable practices by players participating in the IPL. The BCCI will not tolerate any violation of regulations and any act of corruption. The complete footage of the 'sting operation', will be sought and examined thoroughly. The GC [Governing Council] will meet on an emergent basis to review the footage and take appropriate strict action," it read.
Earlier, the TV channel reported that many Indian and international players were involved in match-fixing. A few owners were also involved in influencing the outcome of the matches. Some players in the sting operation also disclosed that they have tried to negotiate a bigger financial contract with some of the other IPL franchises, a serious non-adherence to the IPL player guidelines. Once the deal is finalised the players are paid under the table. Also that the match-fixing was not only prevalent in the IPL but also in the first class matches with beautiful women playing a key role.
When asked about the sting operation, BCCI chief N Srinivasan said, "We will ensure that the integrity of the game is protected. BCCI believes in the integrity of the game. We will take the strictest possible action. We will have to have the tapes and the moment we see it, whoever is the player, we will take very very strict action."
"If there is any truth in it ... It is a fact that we will take strictest action. Even if it means suspending the player immediately. But [that has to be] based on some evidence and fact, for which I have asked the COO of IPL, Sundar Raman, to request for the tape."
The judge presiding over the spot-fixing trial has instructed the jury at a London Court on Tuesday to accept that Mohammad Amir and agent Mazhar Majeed were involved in fixing.
Former Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt and fast bowler Mohammad Asif face charges of conspiracy to cheat, and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, following a Lord's Test in August last year when they allegedly conspired with Majeed, Amir and other people unknown to bowl pre-planned no-balls. Butt and Asif deny the charges.
The comments came as the judge began his summary of the trial at Southwark Crown Court and were the first official guidance given to the jury on Amir and Majeed. However, the judge added that their apparent guilt should not bias the fate of Butt and Asif.
"You can proceed on the basis that Majeed and Amir were involved in the spot-fixing at Lord's, as all parties agree that is the case," Justice Cooke told the jury. "But don't be concerned at their absence."
"You should return true verdicts according to the evidence. Don't let sympathy enter your verdicts and don't speculate on what you might have heard outside of this courtroom. You should base your decision on the evidence alone and draw inferences, which I mean by drawing common sense conclusions."
Earlier, Butt's lawyer Ali Bajwa completed his closing arguments, stressing that it was possible for no-balls to have been fixed without the knowledge of his client.
He suggested there was a criminal conspiracy between Majeed and Amir and possibly Asif, but insisted that Butt played no part in any spot-fixing that might have occurred.
"The prosecution doesn't want the truth to get in the way of a jolly good theory but you have to go on evidence, not suspicion. Guess work cannot play a part in your deliberations," Bajwa said.
In his closing, Asif's lawyer Alexander Milne urged the jury to "follow the money" after police failed to find any marked cash from an undercover reporter in his client's room during initial police raids.
"Where did that 150,000 Pounds (that Majeed took from the undercover reporter) go?" Milne asked the jury. "It went to Mr Butt and Mr Amir. It's up to you members of the jury what conclusions you draw from that but none of that money went to Mr Asif.
"If Majeed was that keen to pay Mr Asif, he would have found a way. If you follow the money, you will find that it does not lead to Mr Asif," Milne added.
After Five Months of intensive probe over the bowling action, West Indies off spin bowler Shane Shillingford finally allowed to resume his international cricket career.
Shillingford's action was reported to the International Cricket Council last November following the Windies' Test with Sri Lanka in Galle.
He subsequently underwent lengthy remedial work in Barbados and Dominica before a biomechanical bowling analysis on May 25 at the University of Western Australia confirmed his action had been modified successfully.
"I am extremely happy that I have been cleared to continue playing international cricket. It has been what I always wanted to do and having to overcome this hurdle has made me stronger and more determined to succeed," Shillingford said.
"I put in a lot of hard work over the past few months and I must thank the West Indies Cricket Board for the support and particularly the Sagicor High Performance Centre (HPC) where the majority of the work was done."
