Durban: Sreesanth had just begun breakfast at the Southern Sun Elangeni, on Sunday, when magician Tony Lee walked up and offered to teach a trick or two. There was, of course, a catch: He wanted the first Test’s MoM to give him tips on the art of swing bowling!

“I didn’t take up the offer,” Sreesanth told The Telegraph laughing.

Lee has been wearing the magician’s coat for the last five years, after retiring from a “food business,” and is on contract with the Southern Sun group, South Africa’s premier hotel chain.

“This is the festive season and I keep going around hotels... I don’t only entertain kids,” Lee informed. In fact, he’d gone to the out-of-form Herschelle Gibbs’ table as well and conjured up a “water trick.”

“Being a South African, I wished Gibbs luck and commented that he must watch out for Sreesanth. Gibbs responded by saying Zaheer Khan is the one who got him for a duck in both innings at the Wanderers. Well...” Lee said.

Asked if he also made predictions, Lee guffawed: “I do, but can’t say who is going to win the Test at Kingsmead... Don’t want to stick my neck out! What I do know is that we’ve got to watch out for Sreesanth’s swing.”

Lee, who is 65, follows cricket pretty closely. He grew up admiring Barry Richards. Of the present lot, he’s a “huge fan” of Brian Lara. “Wish I could meet him,” he remarked.

Perhaps, a trick will take him to the West Indies.