Dav Whatmore Column: Sri Lanka make final preparations for ICC KnockOut

After seven weeks of practice we are on the road again, this time to Kenya and the ICC KnockOut. The first time I felt this tournament had started was whilst in transit at Dubai airport, where we met the Australian and Indian teams, all-waiting to board our connecting flight to Nairobi. I took the opportunity to renew friendships with members of both countries and the two-hour wait went quickly.

On arrival at Nairobi, after a five-and-a-half hour flight, there was the usual congestion in awaiting the sight of our luggage. Thankfully, all 39 pieces arrived safely, and then there was an introduction to our liaison officer, "Mr Zuli", before boarding a very tired looking mini-bus, that lacked air-conditioning.

All the teams are accommodated at the Inter-Continental hotel and they made check-in as painless as possible. Immediately afterwards was an instructional meeting, which was attended by our management team, the Sri Lankan High Commissioner, and of course the ever present, "Mr Zuli". All the players had a well-deserved rest before an informal team meeting later that night.

Our first scheduled training session the following morning was postponed to the afternoon because of overnight rain. It went well, as have all the subsequent sessions, and it has been good to practice outdoors again. In contrast to the locals here, who tell us that they have not seen rain for 18 months, we had to endure two weeks of monsoon rain before we left for Kenya. We were forced to train indoors and thus came to Kenya, a little short of match practice.

On Sunday we flew down to the coast to play a practice game against Bangladesh at the Mombassa Sports Club. A beautiful ground and an excellent quick surface ensured that the day was very useful. We won by nine wickets, but most importantly, we were made to field for 50 overs and all the bowlers contributed. Unfortunately only four batsmen were able to spend some time in the middle, but you can't complain about that.

The conditions in Nairobi will differ somewhat. Firstly there is the much talked about altitude of Nairobi, which is 7000 feet above sea level. At the first practice session, all the players were gasping for air, due to the lack of oxygen. However, after seven days of preparation, the players should have acclimitised.

The second difference in conditions is the pitch at Nairobi Gymkhana. The outfield looks lush and the wicket has a tinge of green. I expect the wicket to be a bit slower than Mombassa but to seam about more. The cooler temperature may also encourage the ball to swing around a little.

With our first game tomorrow, we will be watching the first hour of the India versus Kenya game, before leaving for some practice. The team is ready now and looking forward to tomorrow's crucial sudden death game.