Shane Warne has arrived in Colombo to another stinging attack from former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga.

Warne's comeback cricket tour after serving a year-long suspension for drug-taking has been prefaced by a slanging match with Ranatunga, who always managed to get up the noses of the Australians in his playing days.

In his latest salvo, Ranatunga said Warne should have been exiled from cricket for life after he tested positive to a banned drug.

"Twelve months might seem like a long time but I don't agree with the punishment he's got," Ranatunga told the Sun-Herald newspaper.

"It should be permanent, if you take drugs you should be banned for life - that goes for all players not just him."

Back in Australian kit after more than 15 months out of the Test team following injury and his doping ban, Warne arrived in Colombo in the early hours of the morning alongside fellow legspinner Stuart MacGill, batsmen Darren Lehmann and Justin Langer, and back-up wicketkeeper Wade Seccombe.

Warne avoided the media on arrival at an almost empty Bandaranaike International Airport and in his haste to dodge cameras headed for an emergency exit by mistake.

After a moment of confusion he made a left turn and, still skirted by a small media contingent, walked out in the balmy Colombo night.

When Warne and company arrived at their five-star Colombo hotel, there were not enough rooms for all four players and Warne and Lehmann were forced to room with team-mates already here as part of the one-day squad.

The delay in getting to bed forced the legspinner to postpone a scheduled media conference from 1pm to 3pm (8pm AEDT).

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