So much for taking it easy on a mate.

Brett Lee, representing the Marylebone Cricket Club against the Rest of the World team, may owe Shane Warne a glass or two of red wine after breaking the most famous hand in Australian cricket history.

“I haven’t seen Binga (Lee) for a while so it was nice of him to say hello and break my hand and put me out for six weeks,” Warne, owner of 708 Test wickets, said.

Lee opened the final over of the ROW’s innings with a beamer directed at Warne’s midriff, but the 45-year-old reacted quickly enough to get his right hand in the way.

Not that it did him much good.

X-rays taken after he’d completed the over to finish unbeaten on three confirmed the break and ensured Warne was not able to take his place in the fielding side.

Lee apologised immediately and the pair appeared to laugh it off as an accident on the field.

And when asked to confirm he was, in fact, good friends with his former Australian teammate, Warne responded with tongue firmly planted in cheek.

“Well we were I’m not sure if we’re going to be good friends after this,” he said.

“Binga didn’t mean it. It was just one of those things that happen. It was a pretty competitive game.”

Warne’s place was taken by ROW coach Shaun Pollock, the champion South African allrounder, while Australia’s brilliant keeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist took over the captaincy.

Lee, who finished with figures of 2-55 from ten overs, was warned for the dangerous delivery by umpire Ian Gould.