Indians, Aussies friends despite controversies: Lee

MELBOURNE: The never-ending controversies notwithstanding, Australian pacer Brett Lee insisted that his team continues to share a cordial relationship with the Indian side and all reports of enmity were at best distorted.
    
"I think if you see the way we get on with the Indian cricket team off the field it's a totally different story," Lee was quoted as saying by the Australian Associated Press (AAP).
    
"As soon as we walk over that white line we're competitive and we're playing as hard as we possibly can," he added.
    
The affable pacer maintained that the Australians played the game in the right spirit and said the two teams were good friends off the field.
    
"...I can tell you that off the field there has been some amazing friends formed over the past couple of months. Look, we've got some great mates in the Indian side," he said.
    
"We're out there playing hard cricket and as long as we're playing by the rulebook then there's no problems with that," he added.
    
Lee refused to comment on the Indian complaint to the match referee against the "provocative behaviour of the Australians".
    
"It's just their call, isn't it?" he said.
    
"The thing that we can concentrate on is going out there and hopefully winning games for Australia. I know there was a bit of stuff floating around, but it's a matter of me as a player.
    
"There has been a fair bit spoken, especially after the game and the complaints and stuff, but it's a matter now of focusing on the game of cricket," he added.