With the three of them away from battle and in the cool comfort of the pavilion at a dismal score like 50 for 3.
It would be then left to the men for a crisis, the consistent deputy Aravinda and the composed skipper Arjuna to effect a recovery of sorts and eventually get up to a comparatively mediocre total of 260 runs. And thereby surrender the all important preliminary initiative and the advantage to our opponents.
This is not wild conjecture or exaggeration, far from being pessimistic we are trying to be realistic. Though it has not always been the case, there have been occasions, when we have found ourselves in such situations. Therefore, the Cricket Board perhaps addressing its mind to this, and the fact that the South Africans have in command seven accredited pacemen, to pick four or even if need be five to play - have quite rightly, invited cricket consultant (batting) barry Richards, former South African batting Test star, to give our batsmen the finer points in technique when fronting up to extreme pace with little or no respite on hard surfaces.
The Cricket Board could not have got a better person in Richards, for being a South African, he has the distinct advantage of having first hand knowledge concerning, the prevailing climate, the atmosphere relating to crowd behaviour and more importantly of their wickets and their bowlers.
Furthermore, in the one and only Test series that he ever played in 1970 against Australia under Trevor Goddard, he scored 500 runs with two centuries and two fifties, averaging 55 and thereafter was lost to cricket through his country's apartheid policy. He did however play cricket locally and for the English county Hampshire, amassing 28,000 first class runs at an average of 72 - need we say more regarding the board's choice.
Richards addressing the media at a conference held at the board headquarters on Thursday categorically said that he has come over here for two weeks, on the invitation of the Cricket Board in the capacity of cricket consultant with the emphasis on batting and not as coach.
His services as consultant has been availed of by other international cricket boards as well. He does seem to be impressed with our cricketers and felt that we had a good side.
Stressing on the batting, his view was that our batsmen will even do better, if they are given more opportunities to play on bouncy, pacy wickets and that they are now practising on such surfaces.
His observation was that Jayasuriya, apart from making the runs could also strengthen the bowling with his left-armers.
Fielding a question as to whether both sides were on par his reply was that the odds favoured South Africa since they were playing at home and the converse could be equally true, if South Africa was playing here.
Skipper Arjuna put things in its proper perspective, when he said that it is not going to be easy to play South Africa on their wickets, but there is no cause for undue worry, in that they have three warm up matches before the major ones and with sufficient international experience and a very positive approach, should give a good account of themselves.
The manager and chairman of selectors, Duleep Mendis said that the final 16 making the tour will be picked shortly and at matches will go in probably with three seamers and two spinners.
Others associated at the conference were the Vice President of the Cricket Board, Thilanga Sumathipala, coach Bruce Yardley and Chief Executive Cricket Board Dhammika Ranatunga.