Incensed over suggestions that there was a senior-junior split in the South African camp on the decision to withdraw from the Unitech Cup, the visiting side on Thursday lashed out at the local media for such reports.
The South African also denied that the withdrawal was prompted less by security concerns and more by fears of a disappointing result in the ODI games.
"Those with anything between their ears, and who understand cricket, would find such stories utterly laughable," South African media manager Gordeon Templeton said.
Mark Boucher, who was the captain of the side for the one-day series, described such reports as disappointing.
"It's disappointing," he said, "and there's not much that you can do once such stuff is published," according to the cricket portal Cricinfo.
Prominent local dailies had suggested that senior South African cricketers had bullied the younger ones into going along with the decision to return home from Sri Lankan tour.
The Daily Mirror published out of Colombo suggested that the decision had less to do with security, and more to do with their 2-0 loss in the Test series, and a fear of similar disappointments in the one-day games.
AB de Villiers, one of the younger players, claimed that it was a unanimous decision of the tea,
{{/usCountry}}AB de Villiers, one of the younger players, claimed that it was a unanimous decision of the tea,
{{/usCountry}}"It was a decision taken by everyone," he said, adding "We're foreigners here, not knowing what's going on, and with bombs going off near us. The security guys are telling us to go home, and that's good enough for me," he said.