Never mess with Sachin: Brett Lee

Australian pacer Brett Lee feels Indian batting icon Sachin Tendulkar, West Indian Brian Lara and England's Kevin Pietersen are part of a select band of international batsmen who should never be sledged as the strategy generally backfires.

"There are guys you can stir up and get stuck into and there are others you leave alone," Lee said.

"Sachin Tendulkar is a guy you don't want to chat to period, because he will knuckle down, same as Brian Lara. Kevin Pietersen has controlled aggression and he likes it when someone has a chat to him. He takes it personally and it fires him up and he'll want to score a big hundred," the fast bowler was quoted as saying by the local newspapers in London.

Lee said he is confident that Pietersen, who is currently struggling for the destructive form that made him a much-feared batsman, will come good in the Ashes.

"He might be a slightly different character to the norm - he might be away from the side and doing his own thing - but that happens in everyday life. I'd always back Kevin Pietersen to come out and do well," Lee said.

The veteran pacer said for Test cricket to flourish, it is important that batsmen such as Pietersen do well.

"He will do well and I hope he does put on a good show for the Australian spectators. What Test cricket needs is a match-winner and exciting cricket and Kevin Pietersen fits the bill."