South Africa arrive in Sri Lanka

South Africa, led by their first coloured captain Ashwell Prince, arrived in Sri Lanka today for their brief two-Test series and a tri-series with India.

South Africa were depleted with Graeme Smith, their captain, Jacques Kallis, their leading allrounder, and Shaun Pollock, who is back home with his wife who is shortly due to give birth, missing. However, Pollock is expected to be available for the second Test starting August 4. The other player in the 14-man not to have arrived is Thandi Tshabalala, the 21-year-old offspinner who is with a junior South Africa side in Australia. He will join the squad next week although Haroon Lorgat, South Africa's convenor of selectors, admitted Tshabalala was unlikely to make his debut in the first Test.

So often criticised as poor tourists, Sri Lanka had a superb tour of England this summer, when they drew the Test series before whitewashing their hosts in the one-dayers. They are, then, bubbling with confidence in both forms of the game - and are undoubtedly a tough and determined side to beat on home soil. However, they will continue to miss their regular captain Marvan Atapattu; in his place, Mahela Jayawardena will captain the side as he did so successfully in England.

South Africa begin their tour with a three-day match at Colombo on Saturday, and the first Test gets underway on July 27.

South African squad: 1 Ashwell Prince (capt), 2 Jacques Rudolph, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Nicky Boje, 5 Mark Boucher (wk), 6 AB de Villiers, 7 Boeta Dippenaar, 8 Herschelle Gibbs, 9 Andrew Hall, 10 Andre Nel, 11 Makhaya Ntini, 12 Shaun Pollock, 13 Dale Steyn, 14 Thandi Tshabalala.