"For me, I'm treated so well over there and I'm very thankful for that. I don't think anything will change.said Brett Lee
MELBOURNE: Australian pacer Brett Lee on Saturday rubbished suggestions that the Sydney Test furore has damaged his image in India, asserting a lone bitter instance would not wipe away years of his hard-earned adulation.
"The respect I have for their players and the love I have for their country means that it's definitely not going to have an impact on us going over there and touring, whether it's to play cricket or to do work with sponsors or whatever," Lee told 'The Age'.
"For me, I'm treated so well over there and I'm very thankful for that. I don't think anything will change. I try to do everything in my power to keep a good relationship with people in India," he added.
The tearaway pacer, who is a poplular figure in India having sung a hit duet with legendary Asha Bhonsle besides recently shooting for a Hindi film, said he was confident that the controversies in Sydney will not affect the two teams' relations.
"The drama is not between the players. There's issues, for sure. But, when you're playing at the top level there are always going to be things that pop up. As far as the feeling between most of the players, there is no issue," he said.
Known for his love for all things Indian, the affable bowler advised every Australian to take a trip to the country.
"It's a great place and I've always thought that we should be encouraging every Australian, at one stage in their life if they can, to go to India.
"I can't praise the place enough. I truly think that the Indian public respect what we do and they enjoy the style of cricket we play," Lee said.
The 31-year-old, who is spearheading the Australian attack after retirment by Glenn McGrath, said his off-field commitments do make life hectic for him but he would never allow them to adversly affect his on-field show.
"It's not just about playing cricket any more. It's the whole corporate world, sponsorship, lots of commitments. But I enjoy doing the ads, going out and meeting children, signing autographs," he said.
"I always make sure that the most important thing is my cricket, performing at the top level. I wouldn't be able to do that if the other things were a distraction. I actually feel that the things I do away from cricket energise me. I look at it as being a complementary thing, a string to my bow. I see it as part of getting away from cricket," he explained.
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