It's great to be back on line sharing my postcards with you cricket lovers out there on the web who are looking forward to more insights from within the Australian cricket team. It has been a hectic six months for yours truly, playing a second season of County cricket with Middlesex and writing on The Times website during the fantastic World Cup. Time has flown by since I left Antigua to return to London for another wonderful English summer.

After a three-day training camp in Brisbane and a 10-day break back in Perth I am now in Sri Lanka preparing for a three-Test series, followed by a one-off Test match in Zimbabwe. There hasn't been much time for rest, but that is all a part of the lifestyle of international cricket in this day and age. As far as I am concerned a few days at home acted as the perfect refresher for the next six months that looks as busy as London's Piccadilly Circus. It is going to be a gruelling schedule, especially for the guys who are in both the one-day and Test team, but the way I figure it is, if they could get through the previous 12 months then this summer should be a relative breeze.

Since arriving in Colombo on Monday morning the feeling has been very upbeat if not a little unusual. Just as we waved goodbye to the one-day team in Antigua, it has felt a little strange arriving to these foreign shores to be greeted by the one-day boys who have already been here for the past two weeks. Now that the two-team concept has been accepted as the norm by the players this is not a problem, although I would be lying if I didn't say that it definitely feels different.

In the past one squad has flown into the country of destination, whereas this tour, the one-day tournament has been first on the itinerary, meaning the test players have flown in at a later date. It feels odd having the one-day team preparing for their final tomorrow as we sit and wait for our tour to kick off on Friday. Having said that, our world champion one-day team look to be in awesome spirits having blasted their Sri Lankan and Indian opponents to all parts of this hot and humid sub-continent country. They look confidently prepared for another tournament final victory here in Colombo. I will be looking forward to watching the good guys beat Sri Lanka tomorrow just as I enjoyed watching the World Cup victory at Lords on that famous June 20 afternoon.

Until tomorrow, from a very hot and sticky Colombo!

JL