Lee defends Aussie sledging, says it's gamesmanship

PERTH: The Australian cricket team has coped a fair amount of criticism for on-field sledging but their pace spearhead Brett Lee remained adamant that engaging opposition sides in a war of words was a legitimate tactic to get under their skin.
    
"I wouldn't call it sledging. It's actually gamesmanship. A way to get under the batsman's skin," Lee said, defending the Australian aggression, which at times borders on abrasive.
    
The 31-year-old pacer also dismissed criticism that the world champions are arrogant.
    
"We are known as the competitive Aussies. I don't think we are arrogant... we play the game fair. But yes, people can perceive us differently. Actually it's two sides of the same coin but I think you can be a terrific bloke and at the same time win lot of matches," he said.
    
Lee, who enjoys a sizeable fan following in India, was at the centre of the furore in Sydney as, reportedly, Andrew Symonds' spat with Harbhajan Singh started after the latter hit Lee on the backside.
    
Lee, on his part, has chosen to remain on the matter but hoped that the acrimony of the past week has been forgotten as cricket once again took centrestage in the third Test here.
    
"I think both sides are professional and have their focus on cricket," he said, when asked whether the events in the Sydney Test will cast a shadow here.