Smith hopes Aussies won't moan about crowds

Graeme Smith, whose tough-talking approach failed him in Australia, hopes Ricky Ponting's side won't make a long-running saga out of South African crowd actions during the six-week tour. The behaviour of spectators has become a big pre-series issue after comments from Ponting, Mark Boucher and Justin Langer over the past week, and since the Proteas reported racial abuse in Australia there have been tit-for-tat complaints flying across the Indian Ocean.

Smith said South Africa's fans would be better behaved their Australian counterparts. "I hope Australia won't start moaning about every single little incident," Smith said in The Australian. "We were only upset about the racist remarks hurled at us [in Australia]. We expected the other incidents." The tour opens with a Twenty20 International on Friday at Johannesburg before the first ODI on Sunday.

Andre Nel, the fast bowler who left last month's tour because of a foot injury, said Australian supporters were the rudest in the world, but he successfully used the barbs to spur him on during the Test series. "It happened a bit in India - I think fans from other countries single me out a bit because of the way I play my cricket," he said in the Sydney Morning Herald. "I sort of expect it these days. I quite enjoy it.

"[Australians] are the rudest fans I have ever come across. That was the first time I have experienced [racial abuse]. And it wasn't expats. It happened to me at the SCG and there were no expats in that part of the crowd."

Nel told the paper Australia would struggle without Glenn McGrath, who will miss the one-day series - and probably the three Tests - to be with his sick wife Jane. "They have a decent attack as it is, but they are big shoes to fill," Nel said. "It will be interesting to see how they cope with the lack of experience in their pace attack. McGrath provides a lot of wisdom to that attack. I think there is a feeling that we can really beat these guys now."

Nel also said it would assist South Africa if the groundsmen produced seaming wickets that would deaden the effects of Shane Warne. "It would probably help," he said in The Courier-Mail. "The biggest thing is that Warne ties up one end. The other guys stay fresh. Our game always comes back to the fast bowlers and our guys never get the chance to have a proper rest between spells."