Just like clockwork, Australian speedster Brett Lee has boldly stated he is bowling as fast as ever on the eve of the one-day cricket series against New Zealand.
The New South Wales tearaway plays his 100th one-day international in the series opener at Westpac Stadium today, against a side he has caused some of the most grief in the past five years.
Having struggled to make the side in the past year due to ankle problems and the outstanding form of Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz, Lee was finally unleashed in the two Chappell-Hadlee matches in December then the VB Series.
He took a series high 16 wickets at 21.31 against Pakistan and West Indies, then limbered up in Thursday night's Twenty20 match with some 150kmh-plus fireballs that sent an early warning to New Zealand's top order.
Combined with some genuine outswing, Lee felt he was in the right mood to cause more headaches for the home batsmen.
"It's obviously been a lot of hard work over the past eight months, but I've got the ankle fixed up once and for all, back to 100 per cent now. I probably felt in that last series in Australia that it was the quickest I've bowled in a long time," Lee said yesterday.
"So I'm very excited and looking forward to having another good series over here."
Not surprising was Lee's excitement, back to the scene of his debut tour in 2000 when he took 18 wickets in the three-test cleansweep at 17.44.
He and Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar have traded the world's fastest bowler tag in the 160kmh range in recent years, and there is no coincidence that both have alternated as the New Zealand batsmen's nemesis.
In 12 one-day internationals against New Zealand, Lee has taken 22 wickets at 20.59 including a devastating five for 42 at the 2003 World Cup, while Akhtar has 32 scalps in 18 matches at 19.81.
As if it wasn't common knowledge already, New Zealand's batsmen are vulnerable to extreme pace, although Lee cut a picture of diplomacy in his assessment.
"Looking at their line-up, guys like Astle and Fleming play off the back foot okay, so I don't know if that's true...
"We know they've got a great top six, so we've definitely got our work cut out."
New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming watched several whistle past his nose on Thursday and expected another torrid battle today.
"He was pretty fast, he's obviously in good form and he looks very confident which will make it a good test for the top order.
"We expect that, we've seen him at his best for some time so we've budgeted for it. We know we've got to hang tough and play well."