How to dodge trouble on tour

It has been said before but the heat and humidity really is a significant factor.

In my last Test in Colombo, I was given out caught off the hip, yet again, so off I trudged back to the sanctuary of the dressing room and what I thought would be a sympathetic welcome. Don't you believe it.

At the back of the pavilion there is a lovely pool and when I returned to the dressing room the only person to greet me was Robin Smith, and he was standing there towelling himself down in just his speedos and swimming cap. What an awful sight!

Needless to say, there was a hurried shout to the rest of the lads out the back, telling them that the dependable No 11 was out and we were fielding in five minutes.

More speedos and swimming caps came flying past and the mad rush began to find the jock straps and the rest of the kit.

Nevertheless, despite the hideous nature of that image, I would much rather be poolside Colombo than Lakeside Thurrock in freezing February.

Even since then, touring has changed, let alone the days when the "Batcave" was in full swing. What was a young impressionable twenty-something-year-old meant to do on his first tour when confronted by Ian Botham's room packed to the ceiling with goodies.

Sponsored wine and beer by the crate, the best chocolates in town, not to mention the much cherished local liqueurs.

I reckon, all things considered, I came away from that experience quite well, an altogether more rounded individual.

Gone are the days when Mr Compton turned up in his DJ and went straight out to bat.

However, I am sure the boys in Sri Lanka will have plenty of fun in between the serious stuff. With regards to the actual cricket, I think we have every right to be confident of a fourth Test series victory.

Then, there is Mr Muralitharan to worry about, but he is their only serious threat with the ball and even he is going to have poor spells now and again, or at least he may bowl one bad ball in a day!

With regards to their seamers, well, even I would fancy getting the hook out of hibernation and that really is saying something.

Admittedly, Sri Lanka's batting is more impressive and our guys will have to be at their best to bowl them out twice in a match.

Players like Jayasuriya, Atapattu and the emerging Jayawardena enjoy batting on home soil but if we get among them and Nasser encourages Goughy and Caddie to be aggressive from the start, we should still have the upper hand. I see Nasser has said that England will adopt a similar game plan as in Pakistan, which I think is the right thing to do.

After all, why change a winning formula?

However, if possible, I hope the opportunity will come along to allow us to score a little more freely to enable our bowlers more time to attack.

This should be possible, once Murali has been seen off. Then the other bowlers can be attacked more freely than was possible in Pakistan, where the bowling attack was far superior.

There is no doubt that the series will be an enthralling one. They always are when England are involved.

We could be on to another winner as events in Pakistan will have given the players great belief that they are strong enough to succeed in difficult circumstances.

All the best guys. I hope the bikini lines are waxed and the speedos have been packed.