Andrew Strauss has warned all Anglo-South African fraternisation will and must stop when the teams take the field for the start of the MTN one-day series at The Wanderers.

Mixed messages have emerged about the camaraderie between the two teams, complicated by pointed public remarks about England's tactics from the hosts' axis of power Graeme Smith and Mickey Arthur.

But while the protagonists' main spokesmen appear to have enjoyed sparring off the pitch, obvious common ground exists between some of the opposing players.

South Africa pace spearhead Dale Steyn and England batting find Jonathan Trott, for example, find themselves on different sides of the fence yet are countrymen by birth and were once team-mates at Warwickshire.

Strauss is stopping well short of ordering a cessation in relations off the pitch - but insists England will brook nothing so cordial once they set about in earnest protecting a proud recent record of success in the 50-over format against South Africa.

"Regardless of what happens off the field, when we step across that white line there's going to be no friendliness," the England captain spelled out.

Should South African minds become confused about where they stand, that is merely a handy by-product for Strauss.

"If that's a problem for them, then that's a great thing really," he said.

"If South Africa feel that's something they need to address then fine."

Coach Arthur's remarks about England's deployment or otherwise of young leg-spinner Adil Rashid - still expected to play at The Wanderers despite the arrival of James Tredwell as cover for the injured Graeme Swann - may mean South Africa have lost focus, Strauss hints.

"If by spending a lot of time looking at the opposition you're kind of taking your eye off your own team to a certain extent then that can only be a good thing for us," he said.

"I'm not saying that's what they've done so far. But we're not spending a lot of time thinking about them, for that very reason.

"We feel we've got enough to worry about in our own team, and enough to concentrate on there.

"I'm very happy with our squad. I don't think I've ever seen an England squad more motivated to go out and win games of cricket."

As for Trott and Steyn's perceived pre-disposition to spend time together socially, that is not something Strauss feels it his place to dictate.

"Jonathan Trott has already shown on this tour he's here to make runs, not friends," the captain said.

"If people know each other from years of playing together, it seems wrong to ban them from speaking to one another.

"That would be a little extreme, to me."

Rashid, meanwhile, cannot be sure of his place - having taken a hammering in his solitary over of England's Twenty20 defeat at Centurion last weekend.

"Adil needs to play international cricket, and the more he plays the better he'll get," Strauss contends.

"But you've also got to pick the right side to win a game - and if you feel an off-spinner [Tredwell] is going to provide some advantages over a leg-spinner then you have to make that choice.

"We won't be selecting sides based on how it might look to Mickey Arthur or anyone else. We select the right side to win a game of cricket."

Strauss is confident too that England's rash of "niggling" injuries to the likes of Stuart Broad, Swann and others is about to clear up.

"We've had to draft Liam Plunkett and James Tredwell on to the squad," he acknowledges.

"But the injury situation is getting better all the time.

"Graeme Swann doesn't look like he's going to be fit for the first game certainly - probably not the second either.

"Stuart Broad is getting better all the time. He's not fit either at this stage, but we have the cover in place."

England's run of form against South Africa - they beat them 4-0 at home last year and ended their hosts' interest in the Champions Trophy last month - has not persuaded the bookmakers of their prospects of more success.

Strauss too is guarded when invited to ponder on whether England - with lynchpin batsman Kevin Pietersen fit again - could be seen as favourites.

"I certainly wouldn't say that. South Africa at home are a hard side to beat - as they've shown time and time again," he points out.

"But I like the way we've prepared. I think we've started the tour very well in the 50-over format.

"I like the brand of cricket we're playing. If we carry on, we'll put South Africa under pressure - there's no doubt about it."