Ricky Ponting today tried to play down tensions between Australia and South Africa ahead of the tour-opening Twenty20 game at the Wanderers on Saturday morning (AEDT).
"I wouldn't have thought there's any dislike between the teams," Ponting told a news conference at the team's Johannesburg hotel today.
Ponting's comments came despite South African wicketkeeper Mark Boucher's call for fans to "stick it up" the Australians after South African players were racially abused during their recent tour of Australia.
"There was a lot spoken off the field in the lead-up to some of our games back in Australia," Ponting said.
"Once the cricket actually got underway out on the ground, the cricket was played in very good spirits.
"The contest was very intense, very enjoyable, that's the way you want it at the highest level.
"As far as we're concerned, all that stuff, we're just here to play the best cricket we can and enjoy the tour as much as we can and make sure we are going about our cricket in the best possible way," said Ponting.
Boucher has told Wisden Cricketer magazine the Australian players directed "nasty" comments at Graeme Smith's side during their tour of Australia and claimed the touring side only had beers with the home team after the third Test in Sydney because it was the appropriate thing to do.
"In the past our crowds haven't been too great with them, but trust me, we're not going to sit back and say 'shame, poor things'," Boucher told the magazine.
South African cricket chief Gerald Majola today made a pre-emptive strike for calm, perhaps seeking the high moral ground over Australian fans.
"We want to show that one can support your nation fully and vocally without resorting to racially abusing your opponents as happened to the South African team in Australia," Majola told The Star newspaper in Johannesburg.
Australian coach John Buchanan has put the team on notice to avoid the controversy of the NSW Waratahs Super 14 rugby side, which is staying at the same hotel in Johannesburg.
The Waratahs have sent Test winger Wendell Sailor home in disgrace after clashing with a fan in a nightclub incident at the weekend.
"We speak as a team group all the time about the way that we carry ourselves on and off the field and again through Ricky and senior players and team management, we will reiterate those same approaches," Buchanan said.
"Our record over the last period of time has been pretty well exemplary with a few odd incidents, so I will expect exactly the same again.
"I think all sporting teams these days are very well aware of those sorts of situations.
"Everybody takes every possible precaution for them not to occur. Sometimes they do and that's unfortunate.
"We're hoping to leave the tour unscathed."
Buchanan also said in-form batsman Mike Hussey, who has stayed behind in Perth with wife Amy who is expecting the birth of their second child, is expected to make the trip later this week.
"The plan is hopefully everything goes well with the birth. If that occurs he and Amy have agreed that he will hop on the plane pretty soon after that and be available for the first one-dayer (on Sunday)," Buchanan said.
The Twenty20 match at the Wanderers in Johannesburg starts at 6pm Friday (3am Saturday AEDT) and the first one-dayer is at Centurion Park at 10am on Sunday (1900 AEDT).