LAHORE, Sept 30: South Africa captain Graeme Craig Smith said on Tuesday that his team was mentally prepared for the Pakistan tour despite having gone through a lot of discussions on security matters with the United Cricket Board (UCB) during the last two weeks.

“Yeah, it was a difficult two weeks before but we are  here now with a lot of preparation for the crucial first game and mentally ready to play positive cricket in the coming days,” the 22-year-old told a press conference after South Africa eventually arrived here amid tight security for the five-match One-day International and two-Test series against Pakistan.

The tour, which had earlier been cancelled by South Africa on security grounds, was later rescheduled with a revised itinerary when the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) agreed to drop Karachi and Peshawar as match venues, a prerequisite set by the UCB to undertake the tour.

Asked if security fears would affect his team’s performance, the left-handed opening batsman said, “I think there are no worries about these things, and we are now looking forward as to how to beat Pakistan and play cricket.”

Replying to a question, Smith completely dispelled the impression that his cricket board put pressure on the players to visit Pakistan.

“Not at all, the UCB took decisions on the safety of the team when the tour was cancelled, and we were aware of all that thus we are here now,” he said.

Regarding his expectations from the tour, the veteran of 15 Tests and 34 one-dayers said: “Obviously, we are hoping  for positive results here. We are looking forward to play  good cricket and positive response from the crowd.

“Definitely, we have to face tough conditions here and we have to settle down. It is very much likely we  will be somewhat under-prepared for Friday’s first game against Pakistan,” Smith admitted.

He said that the South Africans would try to overcome  the challenges with great determination and added that they were here with a young side hoping to gain international exposure and win.

Asked how he rated the Pakistan team which is passing through a rebuilding stage, Smith said that to an extent his  team was also reorganising itself and the home side was a young  side playing in a major series after a long time, therefore, good cricket was in the offing.

“The home team will enjoy the local conditions, crowd support and I think these are huge advantages in favour of them. Pakistan will want to win and we will make sure we win, so I expect a very explosive series,” Smith said.

Asked to comment on cancellation of matches at Karachi  and Peshawar which deprive thousands of fans from seeing  one of the world’s best teams in action, he said that was a disappointment but after all we are still playing in Pakistan.

While replying to another question, Smith said that “we  are not afraid of the Pakistanis, but we are scared of bombs”.

Smith was somewhat perplexed when asked to comment on his picture which showed him celebrating at the cancellation of the tour.

The South African coach Eric Simmons admitted that his  team was touring Pakistan under quite different conditions than its 1994’s tour and added this tour was good for Pakistan in all respects.

Earlier, the South Africa manager Cassim Docrat, said that he was very happy to be here and there had been lot of concern about the tour’s cancellation.

He said that the security and safety of the players was the foremost concern of UCB.

“ Both, the PCB and UCB made a lot of effort for this tour and the government of Pakistan also played a key role in this regard,” he said.

He said that now he was hoping for a successful and positive conclusion to the month-long tour.

Meanwhile, the 28-member South African squad arrived in the Punjab metropolis in the early hours of Tuesday.

Among the squad 15 are players and 13 officials.

Strict security arrangements were witnessed at the airport as the tourists came out of the airport, they were surrounded by a horde of commandos.

Also arriving for the series were the ICC match referee, Clive Lloyd and the Australian umpire Darrell Hair.

South Africa High Commissioner in Pakistan, M. Moolla, received the team at the airport.

The South Africans later had nets under lights at the Gaddafi Stadium.

South African squad: Graeme Smith (captain), Mark Boucher, Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock, Neil Mackenzie, Jacques Rudolph, Robin Peterson, Andrew Hall, Allan Dawson, Makhaya Ntini, Charl Langeveldt, Andre Nel, Boeta Dippenaar, Herschelle Gibbs, Paul Adams.

Officials: Cassim Docrat (manager), Eric Simmons (coach),  Vincent Barnes (assistant coach), Gerald de Kock (media officer), Adrian le Roux (trainer), Gustav Obermeyer (computer analyst), Shane Jabbar (physiotherapist), Mohammed Moosajee (doctor),  Bob Nicholis and Faisal Nagel (security officers), Mali Nicholis (UCB president), Steve Coetzee and Tim Southey (observers).