England tour of Sri Lanka postponed amid COVID-19 spread

England's Test tour of Sri Lanka has been called off at the request of the ECB, as a result of growing risk of the the COVID-19 pandemic, but on the knowing that it'll be rescheduled at a later date.

The news headlines came while England were playing their final four-day warm-up match, prior to the two-Test series which have been scheduled to get underway in Galle on March 19. Play continued for some minutes after the announcement, prior to the players left the field at 3.40pm local time.

The match was duly abandoned with the Sri Lanka Board President's XI on 150 for 3 within their first innings.

"After overnight discussions between our teams in Sri Lanka and the SLC, your choice has been designed to postpone the series and bring players and support staff home. Our aim is to reschedule the series," said an ECB spokesman.

The ECB had been in regular contact with the Sri Lankan and British High Commissions, furthermore to Sri Lanka Cricket to address a "highly evolving" situation. SLC are understood to have offered to play the series nowadays, however the ECB pushed for a full postponement, making the case that their players would not have been in the proper mindset for a Test series. Your choice was, said the ECB, "beyond cricket".

The spread of COVID-19 in Sri Lanka happens to be less intense than in the united kingdom, with three confirmed patients to date. However, amid the tightening or closing of borders, and the cancellation of international travel, England's desire to go back home to their families, and their concern for elderly relatives, was an integral factor in your choice.

''Due to the COVID-19 pandemic worsening globally, and after discussions with Sri Lanka Cricket, we've today made the decision to come back our players to the UK and postpone the forthcoming Test series between Sri Lanka and England," the ECB said.

"At the moment, the physical and mental wellbeing of our players and support teams is paramount. We will now look to bring them home to their families as quickly as possible. They are completely unprecedented times, and decisions such as this go beyond cricket.

"We wish to thank our colleagues at Sri Lanka Cricket because of their outstanding support and assistance throughout this example. We anticipate time for Sri Lanka in the very near future to fulfil this important Test series.''

The postponement is a financial setback for SLC - England tours are highly prized, not least because some 3000 fans were due to commence flying in this week. However, the hit will never be as serious as might ordinarily have been the case, because this tour falls beyond your contract agreed with the host broadcaster, Sony, though it forms section of the World Test Championship.

And given the WTC points on the line, there can be an increased incentive for a rescheduling. However, the actual date might not exactly be pinned down for quite a while, however, largely because so a lot of the schedule has been thrown into chaos by the pandemic. At this time, a potential gap in England's crowded itinerary could can be found in January 2021, ahead of their five-Test tour of India.

England's next scheduled Test series is against West Indies in June, but that too is in serious doubt, with Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK's chief scientific adviser, saying on Wednesday that the anticipated peak of the virus in the UK is "10-14 weeks away, maybe slightly longer".

The to begin England's three Tests against West Indies is scheduled for June 4 at The Oval, a date that is currently 12 weeks away, in the center of the expected peak period. West Indies' opening tour match is defined for May 22, against England Lions at Taunton.

The T20 Blast is scheduled to get started on on, may 28, with the group stage running until July 12.

"We are considering the question of banning major public events such as sporting fixtures," Boris Johnson, the united kingdom Prime Minister said, describing the virus as "the largest public health crisis in a generation".

MCC v Essex, the Champion County - the original curtain-raiser to the English season - have been scheduled to take place in Galle soon after the Test match, on March 24. However, which has now been cancelled, combined with the MCC World Cricket Committee meeting in Colombo, slotted for March 28 and 29.