When the Pakistan Cricket Board named on Thursday its squad for the camp to prepare for England’s upcoming visit, one man stood out: Mohammed Shafiq. At six-foot-six he towers over his teammates but Shafiq is more than curiosity value: He’s the winner of a nationwide speed hunt and drafted in specifically to simulate Steve Harmison at full tilt.

Which immediately prompted the question: Whatever happened to India’s speed-hunt winners? Well, we tracked down NC Aiyappa, who won the first national speed contest two years ago yet who isn’t a familiar name to even cricket’s train spotters. And though he’s very much on the fringes of stardom, he’s only — as Sree Santh would testify — one good-length ball away from it.

Actually, he’s already within brushing distance of stardom: Look out for him standing next to Rahul Dravid in the final frame of that TV commercial for electric switches. And, with his flowing mane and infectious smile, he’s a minor celebrity in Bangalore, where they still remember his delivery that clocked 137 kph and won him the title.

Two years later, at 25, he’s a member of the Karnataka Ranji Trophy and South Zone Deodhar Trophy teams.

So how, we ask him, has winning the speed contest changed his life? ‘‘Well’’, he says with a half-smile, ‘‘do you think you’d have approached me for an interview?’’

Then he turns serious. ‘‘I’m happy with everything I got. Rs 75,000 as prize, a trip to Brisbane and training with Aussie fast bowler Damien Fleming. And when I returned, I was bowling at 140kph.’’

His life was on the fast track even before that. Till the age of 18, he was a goalkeeper for his school team. ‘‘I was athletic and took to football. It was only in college that I took up cricket. I started as an all-rounder but suddenly I realised that I could bowl really fast. I started taking wickets and one thing led to another,’’ he says.

Since winning the Speedster crown he’s played 11 first class games and taken 43 wickets; that includes four Ranji Trophy matches last season, where he took 18 wickets.

‘‘I’ve learnt a lot since then’’, NC says. ‘‘One needs more than figures on the speed counter to be a Shoaib Akhtar or a Brett Lee. Fast bowling isn’t all about speed. It is about the movement, the line and length.’’

There’s a long way to go before he can chuck up his Canara Bank job and make cricket pay his bills. He’s aware of that, and of the fact that time is against him, but refuses to give up his optimism.

Any dreams ? ‘‘To be the fastest ever,’’ he jokes or does he?. The cheek of the reply, and another flash of that smile, reminds one of Shoaib Akhtar. It’s true; fast bowlers have a way about themselves.