The past two years will be marked forever as poignant ones in the history of cricket, especially from an Australian point of view. The cricketing community lost its most famous figure in Sir Donald Bradman; endured the corruption scandal; and has enjoyed the spectacular on-field successes of the national team.

The period also encapsulated the type of team it takes to be dominating - Steve Waugh's sides having had the batsmen, bowlers and fieldsmen to make some defining inscriptions in the history books. In the process, they generated some amazing performances, included among them the attainment of a record 16 straight Test victories.

Those 24 months have also served as outstanding preparation for Australia's defence of one-day cricket's ultimate prize - the World Cup. The process included 33 players, took in seven countries, recently brought a change in captaincy, and an end, at least for the moment, to the one-day careers of the Waugh brothers.

Marking the time too has been the emergence of some new champions of the sport in Australia - players whose impact has extended beyond the scoreboard and helped strengthen the country's general aura of superiority.

One such talent has been 25-year-old paceman Brett Lee.

Lee, who occupies a place among the fastest bowlers in the history of the sport, was a remarkable find for a nation - and indeed a game - that is always in search of new heroes. He proved early on that he was a bowler with talent, heart and infectious enthusiasm for the summer game.

After just five Tests he had taken 31 wickets and blasted his way through the Indian and the New Zealand batting line-ups with a veritable barrage of deliveries. In short time, the tall, blond-haired figure became part of international cricket's ultimate pace bowling attack alongside Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie, and a string of accolades followed.

Most notably, he was named Australia's Young Cricketer of the Year at the beginning of 2000 and there was a sense even then that he was helping to promote pace bowling in a way that Shane Warne had done a decade earlier for leg spin.

Lee agrees pace is his biggest asset and that bowling with raw speed is something that he loves to do. To the extent that it makes him a role model for aspiring pacemen, it is a responsibility that he accepts and is one of which he is proud.

"In 1992-93, kids wanted to bowl like Shane Warne - the flipper and all. Now, with pace, people love (the idea of) seeing the 160 (kilometre per hour) mark broken. It's good for the kids to look up to that and want to bowl like that," Lee told baggygreen.com.au

"Pace is my biggest asset. I've always loved bowling quick ever since I started. I like not knowing what's going to happen, whether the nick will go for four ... the excitement factor. I like fast things," said Lee.

And so, it would seem, does the public, because Lee has taken the cricketing world by storm. Such that the Wollongong-born kid is surely now close to being the most popular player within the Australian side.

The public, fans and media alike, strongly identify with Lee's ability to bowl at express pace, and his tussle with Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar to become the world's fastest bowler has remained closely scrutinised.

During Australia's recent tour to South Africa, Lee eclipsed the Rawalpindi Express with a delivery (of 157.4 kilometres per hour) in a match at Johannesburg and, in so doing, took back the mantle and edged closer to breaking cricket's version of the four-minute mile.

A reading in the recent series against New Zealand has since created a rash of publicity, leading to the conclusion that Akhtar bowled a delivery at a staggering 161 kilometres per hour, and is therefore back in front again.

Claims and counter-claims have reverberated around the world in the days thereafter.

Yet, however the recordings are interpreted, there remains little to mitigate against Lee's reputation for bowling at near-to-unrivalled pace.

Lee enjoys bowling fast and devotes attention to the mark, yet stops short of acknowledging that it is at the forefront of his mind.

"I think about (breaking the 160 mark) but I'd rather see stumps fly. That's what I'm in the team to do - take wickets."

Lee acknowledges, too, that his economy rates of 4.95 at one-day level and 3.46 in the Test arena are concerning but believes that they will be reduced by hard work - something which has always been a personal trademark.

"Yes, it is a bit of a worry, but my job is to try and take wickets.

"It's something that I'm working on and will try to change but the most important thing to do is to take wickets. If I get 3/40 off 10 overs, I'll be happy."

Lee is a player who has rarely been unaccustomed to hard work. Injuries to his back, ankles, elbow and his side have already affected his career, meaning that he has had to remodel his action and, on several occasions, fight his way back to match fitness after months of sitting on the outer.

Changes have also been made by Lee to his alcoholic intake - changes which he believes have represented a small but important sacrifice for someone in his position.

"During last year's pre-season, we basically did a lot of extra work. I knew that if I was to get back to where I was prior to busting my arm or having a sore back ... I would have to be at that top fitness level again.

"We did some studies to find that a person who plays sport and drinks (alcohol) is 10 to 15 times more likely to be injured.

"I never ever was a big drinker but I thought I'll give (the idea of stopping) a go because of the fact that I've had a few (injuries) in the past.

"I went a whole two months without having an alcoholic beverage and it is amazing how I felt - I felt so much better. It wasn't a hard thing to do. It's such a small sacrifice," said Lee.

Lee's detailed attention to fitness is part of the learning curve that he says is integral to a player's opening years in international cricket, even for someone in a team in which he feels completely comfortable.

"I'm still learning so much, and I've still got so much to learn. But that's the thing that excites me about cricket: you can never learn it all.

"I still think about waking up; it's still like I'm in a dream. But I think you get to that stage after a couple of years where you still sort of feel comfortable, and I'm very comfortable now with the environment. It's a huge honour and a huge thrill to play."

With the World Cup now less than 12 months away, significant changes are beginning to be made to the Australian one-day side - with youngsters like Nathan Hauritz and Shane Watson recently included for their international debuts and Ricky Ponting assuming the captaincy.

Lee asserts that, while these changes are good for the side, the impact of the Waugh brothers - especially former captain Steve - must not be forgotten.

"It is a good thing (to have) guys like Shane Watson coming through and they bring (great) enthusiasm.

"It's an exciting time. We have great depth now, (which is) something that sides like England lack."

Being under a new captain is exciting and different too.

"Different, though, doesn't mean it's bad or it's better. Steve Waugh's got that X-factor that guys respect.

"I mean the guys respect Ricky too but Steve Waugh has that X-factor. It's just like Justin Langer says - that you would run through a brick wall (for Steve).

"Ricky is doing a fantastic job and he was the right man for the job," he added.

Indeed, the new one-day captain was quickly into his element in helping his team clinch the recent series in South Africa - a series which was billed as a guide for the World Cup - by the emphatic margin of 5-1.

"It was fantastic. There was some added pressure with the Waugh boys gone but the team combined and handled that. And the Test win was outstanding too.

"It built a foundation for next year's World Cup. Playing in South Africa so recently is good preparation.

"I've never been to a World Cup … I've had a few chats to (my brother) Shane since he has been to two World Cups, and playing in a World Cup is something you dream of, just like with Test cricket," commented Lee.

Albeit that he thinks there is a lot of work that still needs be done prior to the assault on the World Cup and that this will include taking the team to a "new level".

"The last two series were used to get us ready for the World Cup, but it is all about rasing the bar, winning the series, and backing that up by becoming better cricketers.

"(The VB Series) was a turning point. We got knocked out of the finals ... and so we (needed to) try and take it to a new level and change a few things," said Lee.

Reaching the new level to which Lee refers is likely to depend on revising a few of the teams' plans in both batting and bowling. For Lee himself, it might include bowling at different stages of an innings but, however the changes are instituted, it is likely to require most of the members of the team to be 'flexible'.

"It will make us a better team overall. It's just the small things like being able to throw with your right and left hand and hit the stumps ... these things make the difference in the end," Lee said.

© 2002 CricInfo Ltd