Brett Schultz, is the South African left-arm fast bowler who has been struggling with fitness problems over the past two years. He is endeavouring to be back in the South African team for the Test series against India. Here, he is being interviewed by the fans on the IRC undernet channel #cricket. Ros Brodie is the moderator.

taps: Brett:Are u fully fit now?

BrettS: yes, physically i'm fit, but not match fit

taps: Brett: u think u will be match fit when the Indian series starts?

BrettS: taps: yes, definitely... and it's my goal to get selected for the first test in Durban

Azzie: Brett: what kind of preparation are you going to have before that time? In terms of FC matches?

BrettS: azzie: played my first fc match this past weekend, and i'm slowly building up to full pace, by the fc game against border on nov 14

Azzie: Brett: Why do you think you have been injured as often as you have been?
Azzie: Is it a matter of bad luck or sometimes you have played without being fully fit?

BrettS: azzie: i'm a very big guy with a very harch action....

BrettS: azzie: first test against england was a controversial match, but all i want to do is play for my country

greenbum: Brett: You used to almost bend your knee inside out on your delivery stride. Have you fixed that?

BrettS: green: i've worked v hard on my action, trying to refine to more rhythm

taps: brett: Have u now changed ur action/pace to reduce the proneness to injury which has haunted u in teh past?

BrettS: taps: i've tried to stop using physical force and as I've said to refine my rhythm

Shariq: But don't you think it is better to stay with the action that comes naturally to you? After all it is the one that got you to the level you are currently at? Streamlining it is ok but changing it......

BrettS: shariq: i will never change my action so drastically that it will affect my bowling, but just refinisg certain aspects of it

taps: Brett: Who do u think are some of top batsmen u have bowled to ?

BrettS: taps: arvinda da silva, brian lara, tendulkar and a lot of other good players

Vadera: Brett welcome to #cricket, I am 14 and really admire your bowling action. I saw you in the game WP v NTVL you bowled with great venom and spark, do you think you can push your way into this star studded SA pace attack ?

BrettS: vadera: at the present moment, i'm very short of match fitness and am not bowling too well, but hoipefully in a months time i'll be back to full pace and look for a position in the SA side

Azzie: Brett: Did you watch the Titan Cup? And if so do you have comments on the young players who are playing in the RSA side. Boje, Klusener, Gibbs etc

BrettS: azzie: i ahve played with all of them in the SA A side which toured England and think Herschele

herschelle especially is our most talented player in this country...

klusener will be our next brian mac, and nicky boje will be around for a long time.

brett has been acosted by our b-team coach....

Shariq: Brett I have never seen you bowl, but I was wondering if you are very particular about your health. I mean do you watch what you eat carefully or you pretty much eat anything and work it off? And what kind of conditioning do you do to stay in shape

BrettS: shariq: i go through phases where i do what i like and try and train it of but it doesn't work

BrettS: shariq: but at times i am inredibly disciplined and stick to a good routine

Vadera: Brett 2 questions - Sub-Continent wickets are sometimes considered as a pace bowlers graveyard. How where you so successful in that Sri Lankan tour since the picthes prepared in sub continent normally favour of spinners. During that test match one bowl in particular troubled the batsmen - when you pitched it on a yorker length middle stump and it took a bit of curve something like an off spinner, I have never seen you been able to do t

BrettS: vadera: sri lanka obviously was a high for me , i was really bowling well, and altought the wickets did ot suit me, I generated a lot of reverse swing, like wasim and waqar

greenbum: Brett: Would you agree that Lance is better suited to batting, especially as an opener than to bowling in an ODI?

greenbum: IOW, he should rather concentrate on his ODI batting and get used as a TEST allrounder

BrettS: greenbum: lance is a very good striker of the ball and is well suited to his batting position at present, but i think he has been battling with his bowling as he has not been playing enough cricket while on tour

BrettS: green: he's a much better bowler than his performances in india show

Azzie: Brett: Have you watched much of Javagal Srinath? As an Indian fan I have been concerned by the fact that he seems to look good but does not take as many wickets as he should. Would you have any suggestions for him?

BrettS: azzie: i played againsy srinath in 1992/93 series in SA and he has improved incredibly since...

BrettS: azzie: he's now one of the world's top bowlers

Kasi: after mid 80's or so, the cricketing world has not been producing really top fast bowlers..... why is that??

Azzie: kasi: do you mean in terms of speed?

Kasi: of the likes of marshall/holding/imran etc who can be a terror to the batsman

Azzie: brett: I was wondering who you would rate the top 5 fast bowlers in the world now

BrettS: azz: alan donald definitely no. 1 at the moment...

BrettS: azz: the pakistani pair of wasim and waqar

BrettS: azz: and the west indian clan.. although they're getting old now.

Azzie: thanks brett

Shariq: Brett you talked about yorker length and reverse swing in Lanka. Why do you think the yorker has become such a weapon now as compared to the past. Is it the quicker pace, reverse swing or the decline in a basmen's technique

BrettS: shariq: something new is always effective, but it's becoming more known and better played now.. the longer it's around the older it gets

OzziPom: brett: who would you rate as the strongest batting side you have bowled to...

BrettS: ozzipom: the south african lineup!
BrettS: next?

Azzie: bretts: Does that mean you think that RSA batting lineup is as strong or better than the Aussies etc?

Deeps: Brett What do you say abt RSA batting linup under pressure.. failed often then rather than not under pressure ...

BrettS: azzie: i'd have to ageee, under pressure, that the aussie line-up is stronger than sa, but the SA bowling attack is stronger than the aus one.

OzziPom: why is it that RSA has been able to produce such great fieleders ?

BrettS: ozzipom: the SA'n fielding training is v professional and is v innovative

Shariq: Brett getting back to the fitness issue. How hard do the South Africans train on their fitness in comparison to other cricketers. You guys must talk about that when you mix together. Do you consider SA to be the fittest team in international cricket?

BrettS: shar: the SA'ns definitely are more professional than most of the other sides, and fitness is of the highest priority

greenbum: Brett: Where do you think the RSA'n batting line up made their mistakes yesterday?

BrettS: green: i don't think they made a mistake, cricket goes that way, and the wiket was a v difficuly one to contend with

OzziPom: if you had to decide between pace and penetration versus long career and lesser penetration... what would you choose? i guess the question relates to would you consider sacrifising a little bit of your pasce to remain fit for a longer time?

BrettS: ozzi: pace is obviously not everything, but I like bowling quickly!

Shariq: do you guys work on general conditinioning through jogging or do you guys do speed and strength training such as wind sprints, weightlifting. Of late yoga is employed by many top athletes. Does the South African team do anything with YOGA

BrettS: shariq: as i've previously said, Sa is a v professional setup, and a combination of all of the above , but not yet yoga!

BrettS: shariq: yoga has been suggested to me as a way of preventing injuries

Azzie: Brett: Since this is a point of discussion for many cricket fans, would you give us your World XI? Tests and or ODIs

BrettS: azzie: too much to think about... it#s nearly supper time!

Azzie: Bretts: that's ok, i guess you don't want to stir up more controversies :)

OzziPom: brett: if u had to pick between tendulkar, lara, inzimam or (take youi RSA pick) who would you pick

BrettS: ozzi: tendulakr is definitely a class player, and lara - I need not say much more,,, no way to choose between them!

OzziPom: brett: i think you are too diplomatic....

BrettS: ozzi: diplomatic? too big a word for a fast bowler!

Bajan: what do u think about the current west indies team compared to the teams of old

BrettS: bajan: the wi strength has lain in their fast-bowlers and their batsmen's flair; they still have the batting flair, but the bowlers have been around for a couple of years now and they need some youngsters to come through

taps: brett: who have been ur idols when u were growing up?

BrettS: taps: i was more of a rugby player as a youngster, and surprisingly, didn't really watch cricket.

OzziPom: bretts: who are some of the upcoming talents in RSA you think will become future stars?

BrettS: (brett is also talking cars with terence lazard here...)

BrettS: ozzi: herschelle gibbs.. err... thinking....

BrettS: consulting with terence lazard....

taps: and terence lazard is ...?

BrettS: taps: ex WP player.. even played a rebel game or two I think

BrettS: time for supper break....