In a sudden development, the Indian team's physical trainer Adrian le Roux on Sunday took up a similar position with the South African national team.

Le Roux's appointment and his acceptance of the assignment with his home country's team came as a surprise to
the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The BCCI had recently offered a one-year extension to the trainer who has been with the Indian team since early last year.

BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya and secretary S K Nair were both caught unawares by the news that Le Roux had accepted two-year contract with South Africa.

"So far, the Board has no knowledge about this. We have not got any communication from him (le Roux) till now,"
Dalmiya said.

Le Roux had worked wonders with the Indian team with his strict fitness regime and was instrumental in bringing down the cricketers' fitness problems.

The United Cricket Board media officer Bronwyn Wilkinson said in Durban that the Bloemfontein-born Le Roux, who has been contracted till 2005, will join the SA squad in Pretoria later this week at a camp organised ahead of the tour of England.

Le Roux will be responsible for ensuring that the players in the national squad as well as the 'A' side are in peak physical condition to meet the demands of international cricket.

"It was a wonderful experience working with India, in a very different cricket culture and I learnt a great deal with
them," Le Roux said in a statement.

"It is obviously a great privilege to have the opportunity to work with one's own national team and I am looking forward to the challenge of helping the team's performance."

UCB CEO Gerald Majola hoped that the team would benefit from Le Roux's rich experience.

"We are delighted to have a man of Adrian's calibre on board. His experience at the highest level will be invaluable," he said.