Australian pacer Brett Lee revealed he was worried if any franchise would be interested in signing him during the inaugural IPL auction.
Lee was bought by Kings XI Punjab in the auction and in his autobiography 'My Life', the tearaway pacer said he kept tabs on the proceedings all through, wondering if any franchise would be keen to have him.
"We were monitoring via text what was happening in India."
"One message stood 'India's one-day captain MS Dhoni had been bought for USD 15 million by Chennai. We were stunned'," he wrote.
"I was really nervous and couldn't help thinking, 'does anyone want me?' Finally the phone rang. It was my manager Neil Maxwell," he recalled
After being informed that he was able to fetch USD 900,000, Lee wrote, "Wow! This was just crazy; never had I ever dared to dream that I'd get that much. Over the days the cricket world was turned on its head by revelations of the millions and millions of dollars that were spent at the players' auction for the inaugural IPL."
Lee also spoke of the batsmen he has faced during his career so far and singled out Sachin Tendulkar as the one who tormented him the most.
"There was one batsman I couldn't get out: Sachin Tendulkar. I was amazed how good he was. When he came out to bat I felt the energy lift in the field and crowd," he wrote.
"...I must tell you that one of the reasons Sachin has had so much success on the cricket field is because he wants to win; in fact he has to win."
"He was cricket's biggest superstar who'd achieved just about everything his sport could offer."
He calls India his second home but Lee conceded it is also immensely tough to be on a tour there.
"Playing Test cricket in India is tough. Really, really tough. It's a place that requires all your focus, otherwise you're going to fail," he wrote while describing his visit during 2008 Test matches after splitting with his wife Liz.
"I love India but there are times when even the smallest things can play on my nerves and grate me," he said.
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