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Cape Town - Proteas coach Ottis Gibson has no complaints over the fact that South Africa are playing Test cricket less than 100 days out from the 2019 World Cup in England.
In dramatic fashion, the Proteas conceded 78 runs for Sri Lanka's last wicket to lose the first Test at Kingsmead on Saturday.
As a result, South Africa have gone 1-0 down in the two-match series and are now only able to salvage a draw when the sides meet for the second and final Test in Port Elizabeth from Thursday.
It is a severe blow to the Proteas' hopes of climbing back to the top of the pile in the ICC Test rankings, and with a Test tour to India coming up in October, that now seems highly unlikely this year after failing to record a series win against Sri Lanka.
The World Cup, though, will always be the priority in 2019 and the Proteas could be forgiven for viewing the Test matches against Sri Lanka as a bit of an unwanted distraction.
Gibson, though, is making no excuses.
"I have no problem with the schedule," he told media in PE on Tuesday.
"We knew what it was 12 months ago, and we knew that we would have to play two Tests and five ODIs against Sri Lanka.
"What happens now has very little effect on how we prepare for the World Cup.
"It's obviously very disappointing to lose a Test match, but the World Cup is a separate issue all together."
The five-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, which gets underway on March 3 at the Wanderers, is South Africa's last ODI cricket before the World Cup.
