NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 14 Those of us who thrilled at the sight of Irfan Pathan and Ajit Agarkar playing havoc with Sri Lankan batsmen, of RP Singh and Sreesanth bringing in a fresh dose of enthusiasm in the one-day series, will no doubt be delighted that, after a lengthy hibernation, the MRF Pace Foundation is beginning its run-up for another spell.

Come January, Javagal Srinath and TA Sekar will land in Delhi to recruit youngsters for the finishing school, where they will train under Dennis Lillee. It marks a departure from the plethora of speedster contests, which focus on raw pace.

The exact dates aren’t yet finalized but other details are. ‘‘We will hold two-day trials and will looking at boys in the 15-19 age group’’, Sekar told The Indian Express. ‘‘I am in touch with the state associations and, hopefully between January to March, Srinath and I will cover 8-10 states in the north and parts of the west, like Maharashtra. Our second phase, when we cover the rest of the country, will be in May-June.’’

Sekar, a former test player and national selector, says the objective is to spread the art of fast bowling. ‘‘I want youngsters to do away with the misconception that it’s just about bowling fast; they need to know how to preserve their energy and last long spells. I want to teach them what goes into making a fast bowler, the technical side, fitness and dietary habits too.’’

The foundation had stopped its nationwide search in 2000-01 — by which time it had already thrown up Balaji, Nehra and Zaheer, in addition to those mentioned above — and began relying on selective candidates offered by the state associations and the National Cricket Academy.

‘‘We are re-starting it because I didn’t want to stay put with the TRDO database’’, Sekar said. ‘‘I have got calls from different parts asking to come and see other talent.’’