Six days into the five-week visit to the Indian Ocean island has seen the players involved in little else than an impromtu game of soccer in the rain and a soolid net session when the skies cleared on Wednesday.
Yesterday we actualy saw the covers come off and the ground staff mop up excess surface water from soggy patches in the outfield. Then the drizzle returned and by mid-afternoon large pools had formed on the ground. But apart from that and another fitness training session of soccer, activities consisted of the usual game of cards or reading.
Another topic of discussion was the tri-nations rugby match between South Africa and Australia in Perth with members utilising my Internet access in order to find out what channel it is being screened.
There wasn't much success on that score either. As for the game against the Board President's XI at the Singhalese Sports Club the extra day rescheduled to give it first-class status has been for nothing.
It if it is any compensation the monsoon rains, which have displaced 1,500 families in districts south of the capital, are the best in five years. But that doesn't help the team's coach Graham Ford.
``The players are getting frustrated and it is hard for them to remain focussed when after they build themselves up the rain thwarts their efforts,'' he said as the side left the ground in their bus on another soggy day.
Coach of the Sri Lank A pool of 21 players and from which the Board XI has been selected, is Hemantha Deyapriya, an old friend from the Arosa Sri Lanka rebel tourists of 1982. He didn't hold out much hope of there being any play today (Sunday) either.
Which means the team heads for Kandy tomorrow night without any match practice and serious doubts are being expressed locally whether July, as part of the monsoon season, is ideal. It has seriously disrupted the team's plans for the first unofficial test against Sri Lanka A at Asgiriya Stadium, starting on Wednesday.