Somerset could play in front of 40,000 fanatical spectators when they start their Champions League campaign today – but Alfonso Thomas will tell his team-mates to relax.

The 'death' bowler is one of the few Sabres players to have previously toured India, with South Africa in 2004.

Somerset take on Deccan Chargers on the Indian Premier League champions' home turf at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad.

Thomas knows that unusually large crowds can make some players change their games. But he feels Somerset must not try to do anything out of the ordinary.

He said: "You have to stay calm and not get too excited and don't be different. Just do what you do best and back yourselves.

"A lot of people go there and see big crowds and try to be the next Shaun Pollock or Allan Donald or Sachin Tendulkar. Just be yourself and stay calm. We have got a hell of a team. We have got a lot of match-winners and, with all due respect, if you look at the other teams they probably have one or two.

"We have players who can change the game in the matter of two overs.

"There are probably five names you can draw out of our hat – (Craig) Kieswetter, (Justin) Langer, (Marcus) Trescothick, (Arul) Suppiah, and Peter Trego, who have been terrific. We have all the bases covered.

"I was there in 2004 and didn't play but did a lot of net bowling and it is very similar to our kind of wicket.

"There isn't a lot of pace and it is all going to come down to how well we execute our skills, whether you are playing for Somerset or South Africa."

Deccan will be strong favourites for today's Group A clash, but Thomas knows the form-book can easily be overturned.

"You only have to look at the South African (national) side," he said.

"They were one of the favourites to win the Champions Trophy at home and they didn't even qualify for the semi-finals, so that just shows Twenty20 can go either way.

"They (Deccan) are obviously a hell of a good side and there will be respect, but they can be beaten."

Somerset have used the in-form Suppiah as an opener in their two warm-up games and he has made quick runs on both occasions.

He may get the nod to open with Trescothick, with Zander de Bruyn and Craig Kieswetter at three and four, and Justin Langer and James Hildreth further down the order.

The final bowling place looks to be between Omari Banks, Steffan Jones and Max Waller.

"For a guy like Max Waller," he said. "This could be the turning point.

"At 21 I wasn't even playing first-class cricket and he has gone to the Champions League."

Meanwhile, Trescothick's fabulous 2009 continued with the Somerset opener being named Professional Cricketers Association player of the year.

Trescothick, who topped the Most Valuable Player rankings last week, was also named in the PCA team of the year along with Kieswetter and Gloucestershire paceman Steve Kirby.

Somerset (from): Trescothick, Suppiah, de Bruyn, Kieswetter, Hildreth, Langer, Trego, Phillips, Thomas, Willoughby, Banks, Waller, Jones.