Brett Lee's priorities

Brett Lee comes across as the most likeable man in the Australian dressing-room. He is a fast bowler with a smile where you might expect a snarl, he has a charmingly down-to-earth sideline as a shop assistant in men’s tailoring, and he has had the decency to turn down large sums to invade his own privacy by letting his wedding be photographed. So the thing he said today came as a surprise.

He confirmed that he would definitely play in the first Test against England rather than be with his wife Liz at the birth of their first child, due on the eve of the match. "We've said right from the start, which is credit to the person that Liz is, I will definitely be playing,” Lee said. "I'm hoping and praying that it either comes early or late. To me, cricket is important, but family is the most important thing in my life. Hopefully I can be there for both.”

Hopefully he can. But he is saying one thing here and planning to do another. If family is really the most important thing for him, then he should be at the birth. He has already played 54 Tests, including plenty against England; he is unlikely to have 54 children. The birth of his first child will be probably the biggest event of his life. And he lives in an age when top sportsmen are no longer expected to sacrifice a moment like that on the altar of their ambition.

Get thee to the maternity ward, Brett. It’s the only place to be when your baby is on the way. You won’t regret it.