Low key start for the Sri Lankans

Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya expects his team to take between one to two weeks to settle into South African conditions ahead of their three-Test, six one-day international tour.

Jayasuriya and side arrived in Johannesburg on Sunday, but with attention focussed on the second Test match between South Africa and New Zealand in Port Elizabeth, the tourists were only formally introduced on Wednesday.

This low-key approach away from the limelight probably suits the tourists, although coach Dav Whatmore said: "It doesn't really matter what the environment is. We know there's a tough few weeks of cricket ahead. We'll try to go about it the best we can."

Jayasuriya said that attempts to simulate South African pitches in Sri Lanka had largely been foiled by the weather and that the biggest initial task for his team would be adjusting to the conditions, particularly the bounce, they will experience over the next six weeks.

Whatmore said that that there probably wouldn't been too much experimentation before the Lankans play the first ODI in Port Elizabeth on December 15. "Things may change depending on form, but the selectors have picked a group of batsmen who we know will be starting," he said.

As far as the bowling is concerned, Jayasuriya pointed out that Sri Lankan had brought a quarter of quicks - Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa, Pramodya Wickramasinghe and Dilhara Fernando - to South Africa in order not to be caught short by the greater pace and bounce. These four, of course, will be backed by the inimitable Muttiah Muralitharan.

The two countries shared a three-Test series 1-1 earlier this year, but South Africa won 2-0 when Sri Lanka last visited Africa in 1998. Then the tourists could call on the two greats of Sri Lankan cricket, Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva. Ranatunga, of course, has retired and De Silva has been left at home as Sri Lanka try to blood a new generation of batsmen.

The success or failure of the tour is likely to depend on how well they cope with the absence of these two stalwarts.

The Sri Lankans open their tour with a one-day match against a Nicky Oppenheimer XI in Randjiesfontein on Thursday. Unlike mose one-day games, however, the 50-over restriction will not apply and declarations will be required if a result is to be made possible.