England still plan to take a chartered plane to Sri Lanka on January 2 for two-Test series; ECB and Sri Lanka Cricket Board have held positive talks; England will spend 10 days in quarantine before first Test in Galle on January 14
Last Updated: 23/12/20 12:16pm
England still plan to travel to Sri Lanka for January’s Test series despite flights from Britain being suspended in the wake of the new strain of Covid-19
England remain confident January’s tour of Sri Lanka will go ahead despite the new strain of Covid-19 to hit the UK.
The Sri Lanka government has suspended commercial flights from the UK but the ECB has been given travel exemptions so Joe Root’s Test side will take a chartered plane to Sri Lanka on January 2.
Talks between the nations’ cricket boards have been positive and England – who will be tested for coronavirus before they depart and then upon arrival – expect the two-match tour to proceed as planned.
England will spend 10 days in a bio-secure bubble in Hambantota after arriving in Sri Lanka – although they will be able to train outside.
Root’s men will then face Sri Lanka in behind-closed-doors Tests in Galle, with the first from January 14 and the second from January 22.
The Sri Lanka-England series, which is part of the World Test Championship, was supposed to take place in March this year but was abandoned midway through the tourists’ warm-up game in Colombo amid the escalating situation surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.
Dr Daminda Attanayake, the Sri Lankan team’s physician, told ESPNcricinfo: “I don’t think we should [look at the new strain as something that jeopardises the tour].
“Yes, anxiety is high at this stage from everybody. But when you look at the scientific evidence, I don’t think we should stop it. We might have to take extra precautions, but we don’t need to stop the tour.”
