SRI Lankan coach Trevor Bayliss has put cricket's top batsmen on high alert that self-taught mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis can step into Shane Warne's shoes and become the world's top spinner.
Bayliss has been gobsmacked by Sri Lanka's new spin freak, who has taken an astonishing 20 wickets at an average of 10 in his first eight one-day internationals - including rocking India with an amazing 6-13 in the final of an Asian one-day tournament.
Mendis, 23, devastated India again last week when he grabbed eight wickets in his Test debut in Colombo.
The unorthodox youngster, who has five different off-spin and leg-spin variations bowled with a mysterious click of his fingers, appears harder to pick than his teammate, Muttiah Muralidaran.
Bayliss, the former NSW batsman, has seen enough to declare that Mendis can take spin to fresh heights and become the premier tweaker in world cricket.
"This guy is an absolute freak. He has five different deliveries which spin different ways and he is working on another one or two others," said Bayliss, speaking from Galle.
"He flicks deliveries out of his fingers in different ways and the amazing thing is that every one is accurate.
"There is no doubt he could become the world's best spinner because he's only at the start of his development and he's such a quick learner with an enormous potential.
"Batsmen can't pick him at the moment and he is only going to get better."
The deadly Mendis has also invented a new delivery - the "carrom" or "flicker" ball - which he releases with a snap of his strong middle finger and could result in an off-break, a leg-break, a googly or even a zooter.
Mendis has been compared to former Australian mystery spinner John Gleeson but has more tricks as he has no "stock" ball in his confusing bag of spin weaponry.
The part-time Sri Lankan army trooper is an incredible story given he comes from a poor family and taught himself to bowl with a tennis ball.
Like the unorthodox actions of Muralidaran and super slinger Lasith Malinga, it is a great credit to the Sri Lankan development system that no coach has attempted to change Mendis.
Australia could lock horns with Mendis at September's Champions Trophy and Bayliss has warned that his side will be a much tougher proposition.
"Apart from his own incredible talents, one of the great things about Mendis is that Murali will be able to bowl in a more attacking fashion at the other end," Bayliss said.
The security and safety situation in Pakistan for the Champions Trophy in September remains one of cricket's burning issues with Australia set to boycott the tournament if it is not shifted from the strife-torn republic.
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