When it comes to successful fast-bowlers to have played the game, then Brett Lee certainly falls into that bracket.

The retired star celebrates his 40th birthday today and can look back at an illustrious cricketing career. At his peak, he proved to be a handful for batsmen with his, more often than not, 100mph deliveries.

The end result saw him finish as Australia’s fourth-most successful bowler, with 310 wickets in 76 Tests, while also claiming 380 ODI scalps.

Although he was hampered with injuries, he proved to be a key member for the Aussies, winning the 2003 and 2007 World Cups.

As well as holding a number of individual awards, Lee has a number of records to his name including being the first player in T20 internationals to take a hat-trick and fastest bowler to take 300 ODI wickets in 171 matches.

1946: Guus Hiddink, Dutch football manager, who has coached Chelsea and the Netherlands (70).

1978: Maurice Evans, retired American basketball player, who played for Washington Wizards (38).

1981: Joe Cole, former Chelsea and England midfielder, who now plays for US outfit Tampa Bay Rowdies (35).

1989: Giancarlo Stanton, American baseball right fielder for Miami Marlins (27).