Michael Kasprowicz has bowled so well for Australia of late that he has relegated the world's fastest bowler, Brett Lee, to the status of drinks waiter.
In a stop-start international career Kasprowicz was recalled to the side for the fifth time last year, since when he has played the best cricket of his career. In his last 16 Test matches up to the Ashes, he took his wickets at 26.09 apiece compared to his overall average of 31.11 for 112 wickets in 33 Tests.
Early in his career he developed a reputation as a swing bowler on Gabba green tops for Queensland. More recently, he has been dubbed a specialist bowler in sub-continental conditions where his reverse-swing and heavy cut made him invaluable on tours of Sri Lanka and India.
But Kasprowicz is no stranger to English conditions either, having played county cricket with Glamorgan, Essex and Leicestershire, and his best Test bowling figures came at the Oval in 1997 when he took 7-36.
A tall strong man, who played as a rugby forward for Australia schools, he is deceptively quick off a short run and, after all the trials and tribulations in a 15-year career, is a tough competitor indeed.
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Michael Slater's verdict: