I write this column just over 24 hours before South Africa's opening game of the ICC T20 World Cup and I must confess that my levels of excitement are every bit as high as they were before the IPL final between the Mumbai Indians, for whom I was working, and the Chennai Super Kings.
 
It is a very different sense of excitement, however.  There should be no shame or apology in acknowledging that international cricket will inspire more emotion and support than domestic cricket.  That is in no way a comment on the loyalty of franchise, county or state fans, but nation versus nation cricket has always been the ultimate in our sport.
 
Just thinking back to be World Cup's and other ICC events that I was involved in brings back all the memories.  Two, three or even four international teams staying in the same hotel, bumping into each other and breakfast and trying to use the same little gym! I know for a fact it is the same this time in the Caribbean.
 
As a youngster I recall bumping into the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara in the breakfast room and being completely overawed. Actually, it was probably more the likes of Allan Border and those older blokes who intimidated me most!  But very soon the ice is broken and you have conversations about the game which hold you in good stead for the rest of your career, if not your life.
 
It is understandably a very common theme for the world's media to discuss South Africa's habit of "choking" on the big stage.  In my view there have been a few problems with mental preparation in years gone by and there can be no denying that we failed to play to our potential under pressure on one or two occasions.  But it has never been a serial problem.  Other teams are allowed to play well and no team, least of all South Africa, has a divine right to win.
 
So much time and effort has been spent in the last seven or eight years making ICC world events the prime focus for Cricket South Africa and the Proteas. That is understandable; the level of frustration felt by everybody at failing to win anything apart from the inaugural champions trophy back in 1998 has been huge.
 
But then again, the more high profile the campaign, the higher the level of expectation from supporters and players alike.  And the harder it becomes to win!  It is easy to say that Graeme Smith and his team need to relax and enjoy the tournament in order to perform at their best, it is much harder to say how they should go about achieving that!
 
I don't watch every game the Proteas play these days, mostly because of other commitments.  But I will be watching every ball of this tournament.  I'm the last person to want to add to the pressure, but like everybody else I, too, wonder whether this is the tournament to release the albatross from around our necks.