After more than two months in India, captaining South Africa in a Test series and then playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) - as well as a tour to Bangladesh before both - Graeme Smith has some simple aims for when he returns to Cape Town next week.

“I'm looking forward to cold weather again,” he said. “And having a glass or two of good wine at home. After ten weeks away, I've forgotten what my house even looks like.”

Such is the itinerant life of the modern professional cricketer. Smith will have only two weeks in Cape Town when his duties with Rajasthan Royals are done before joining his international team-mates in Johannesburg for a short training camp before their tour to England and he suggested that the IPL schedule was slightly too long.

“They are talking about reviewing the length, which would make it better for the international schedule, but I'm certainly not bored,” he said. “The publicity is not getting less and the crowds are still coming in.”

The success of Rajasthan, who meet the Delhi Daredevils in the first semi-final tomorrow, has been a surprise because they spent less than other franchises. “We've gelled better than most others,” Smith said. “There is a good balance and we have benefited from our young Indian guys.” These include Ravindra Jadeja, 19, and Niraj Patel, who put on 69 in eight overs to steer Rajasthan to a last-ball win over Mumbai Indians on Monday, and Dinesh Salunkhe, a leg spinner, who was the runner-up in the Cricket Star TV reality show and played for Leicestershire's second XI last season. “He came off the streets, got recognised and is working with the greatest leggie ever [Shane Warne],” Smith said.

Smith has played his part in Rajasthan's success, with 416 runs at an average of 52, but he admitted that different skills will be tested by England. “It is a challenge for those of us who have been in the IPL to get to the level for Test cricket,” he said. “England are at that level already there so we'll have to work hard against the counties to remember how to play long innings again.”

The last time Smith began a Test series in England in 2003, he scored 621 runs in his first three innings. It will take some readjustment to match that.

The semi-finals and final of the IPL are live on Setanta Sports