Date-stamped : 22 Nov95 - 18:29 VAAS, THE EMERGING KING OF PACE, SAYS LANKAN BOSS By Cole Hitchcock CAIRNS, Qld, Nov 18 AAP - Little known Sri Lankan paceman Chaminda Vaas had the potential to become the country's own version of Pakistan sultans of swing Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, team manager Duleep Mendis said today. Left-armer Vaas already has 39 wickets from just nine Tests at the sizzling average of 19.12 and is emerging as the next pace sensation to hit international cricket. "He has the potential to reach those heights," Mendis said, when asked whether 21-year-old Vaas was Sri Lanka's version of the Pakistani pace duo. "You've got to have something inside to take wickets like that. Even in Pakistan he bowled so well and gave everything he had. "He moves the ball and has a good inswinger. The difference now is he knows what he's going to do. "Other bowlers sometimes don't know what they are going to bowl. You can set a field and he will bowl perfectly to it. That is the advantage he has." Vaas and rookie Manjula Munasinghe loom as potent pace weapons in the three-Test series against Australia with the more seasoned Pramodya Wickramasinghe. But the two won't join the Sri Lankan party until they prepare for their third tour match against Tasmania in Devonport later this month. They have been in Sydney getting treatment on minor back injuries although Mendis says there is no concern for either. "Both of them are in Sydney but they are finishing tomorrow. They will join us on our way to Tasmania." Vaas missed Sri Lanka's win over Pakistan and the West Indies in the recent Champions Trophy one-day tournament in Sharjah after being rested. "We didn't want to take a chance with him in Sharjah so we left him home. By the time we got back from Sharjah both were okay," Mendis said. Sri Lanka plays Queensland here in a one-day game tomorrow before moving south to Mackay for a four-day match. Source : Lankan Internet Services Contributed by Vicky (vigneswa@*.umass.edu)