'I have always had great respect for her'; Brett Lee breaks silence on long-running Preity Zinta dating rumours

MUMBAI: Former Australia fast bowler Brett Lee, one of the greatest pacers in cricket history, has always been hugely popular in India. The speedster, who also appeared in the 2009 Bollywood film Victory, frequently made headlines during the early IPL years over alleged dating rumours with Bollywood actor and Punjab Kings co-owner Preity Zinta. Lee has now broken his silence on the long-running speculation.

The rumours first surfaced during the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) season in 2008. At the time, Preity Zinta was one of the co-owners of Kings XI Punjab, while Lee represented the franchise. Their public appearances and photographs together fuelled speculation that they were in a relationship.

Lee played for Kings XI Punjab until 2010 before joining Kolkata Knight Riders in 2011. Despite years of speculation, he had never publicly addressed the rumours.

Lee has now dismissed the speculation. "Preity Zinta and I have always been good friends. I have never dated a Bollywood actor," he said.

He added, "She was one of the owners of the Punjab team, and I have always had great respect for her."

Lee also said the rumours never affected his personal life. "People are free to make assumptions. Those rumours never had any impact on my life," he said.

Lee married Elizabeth Kemp in 2006, and the couple have a son. They divorced in 2009. In 2014, he married Lana Anderson. They have two children.