The retirement of Richardson and de Villiers will certainly be felt but in Mark Boucher whose gloving for Richardson and with the likely hood of a promising coloured cricketer Makhaya Ntini sporting the Portea cap, skipper Hansie Cronje will not have much to worry about.
The cry here is that the national team be truly representative one and that promising coloured cricketers are included. But this cry is not finding favour with all, because they reckon that the coloured cricketers unless they are up to test class should not be thrown to the deep end.
Already the Proteas have a coloured cricketer in left-arm spinner Paul Adams. He is likely to be joined by a seam bowler who plays for Border in Makhaya Ntini and whom many tip here to make his debut against Sri Lanka in the Two Test matches.
Ntini will come under the microscope of the selectors - Peter Pollock (chairman), Mike Procter, Clive Rice, M. Garda and R. Magiet, who will spend four days watching Ntini perform in a Supersport Series match between Border and Free State at Bullalo Park Garda and Magiet are coloured.
The selectors announced that they will be naming the team to play Sri Lanka from East London the home base of Ntini. If he makes an impression Ntini will certainly make the big league.
Andrew Hudson and Adam Bacher who played in the test against Pakistan which South Africa won to square the three match series. Herchelle Gibbs and captain of Free State and part time wicket keeper Gerhardus Liebenberg are tipped to make the team.
Dr. Ali Bacher who is a household word in the game here and who is doing his best to see that the whites only stranglehold is broken from the national team, feels that it was no longer acceptable to field a South African national team without black representation.
Bacher is hopeful that at least six blacks players will play for South Africa soon, either in the national team or the South African 'A' that will tour Sri Lanka soon.
Meanwhile the Sri Lankans who surprised all by losing their first game to Gauteng, are determined to come good when they line up for the First of Two Tests against South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town.
Skipper Ranatunga and manager Mendis have hammered in the importance of this tour to the cricketers and from the way they were doing their thing at the nets they are trying hard not to come second best to the Proteast.
It was the pace and bounce that had them undone the Wanderers and are working hard to get in line before playing their strokes. It will be interesting to watch how they will execute during the tests.
The Sri Lankans have one more three dayer against Boland in Paarl before they move in to the big ones against South Africa and a triangular against Pakistan which also includes the home team.