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by Elmo Rodrigopulle

Now that the Mini World Cup jet has cleared turbulence that was the 'ambush marketing' it will land safely in Sri Lanka and allow 18 days of thrill a minute cricket starting with the first encounter between Sri Lanka and Pakistan at the picturesque R. Premadasa Stadium under lights today.

When this tournament is called 'play', on show will also be three of the most feared fast bowlers in world cricket - Brett Lee of Australia, Shoaib Akthar of Pakistan and our own Dilhara Fernando.

Now some of the finest sights to behold in the game is a fast bowler dashing in and delivering at high velocity and seeing batsmen ducking and weaving.

Fast bowlers where ever they play have known to attract crowds who come to urge and cheer them on to deliver at breakneck speed. It is not always that bowlers with real speed emerge. And when they arrive, they bring the game alive.

Former speed men such as Ray Lindwall, Keith Miller, Frank Tyson, Fred Trueman, Brian Statham, Wesley Hall, Charlie Griffith, Harold Larwood to name a few were not only treats to watch, but were great crowd pullers.

It is no different with Lee, Akthar and Fernando.

Surprisingly Lee and Akthar's actions have come in for question. But thankfully and for the betterment of the game, they have been cleared by the authorities concerned who have allowed them to ply their trade. Blonde haired Lee who had a few hiccups when he first began, has now settled down and is working hard and striving to be labelled the fastest in world cricket. He won the fast bowlers award in the Kenya tourney sending down a delivery at 91 MPH

He strides elegantly to the crease and with a little hop and jump lets fly thunderbolts that have scared batsmen.

Several batsmen who have faced him, have nothing but admiration for his perseverance. He rarely drops speed.

On the contrary gathers speed with each delivery that has not made life easy for batsmen.

He showed his prowess in the recently concluded triangular in Kenya which included Pakistan and Kenya. When he runs in to bowl at the SSC against the Kiwis he sure will be electric.

'Rawalpindi Express' Shoaib Akthar is a demon. With a slinging action he is able to work up considerable speed and when he is firing, he is difficult to spot. When he drops his thunderbolts on the right line and length no batsman will have it easy.

His bouncer whizzes past the heads of batsmen and to be hit by one of them could mean the end of one's career.

He certainly will have the crowd behind him when he opens for the Pakistanis with two other speedmen who were equally feared during their time, but who have now dropped speed Waquar Younis and Wasim Akram.

But the fast bowler who will have the full backing of the crowd will be Dilhara Fernando when he performs his act before his own wildly cheering cricket fans.

Fernando will not be far behind when it comes to matching speed for speed with Lee and Akthar.

Fernando who has now fully recovered from stress fractures in the back, which ailment affilicits many a fast bowler, is bowling at his peak now and is sure to work up tremendous speed throughout the tournament. Fernando at times tends to overdo the bouncer and expend his energy.

He will bowl better and capture more wickets, if with his speed he concentrates on line and length and get the ball to wobble around.

Of late he has developed a cleverly disguised slow ball which has baffled many batsman. He put on show this slower ball in the Morocco tourney which brought him vital wickets and also helped Sri Lanka win the final.

At the end of this mini World Cup it will be interesting to watch who will be timed as the fastest. Who will it be?

But one thing is certain and that is that all three pacemen - Lee, Akthar and Fernando will have a large following during the tourney.

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