England players’ relief as the two-Test tour of Sri Lanka bites the dust

ENGLAND and Sri Lanka bowed to the inevitable yesterday and called off their two-Test tour with the coronavirus crisis rapidly escalating worldwide. What had seemed the only sensible solution was confirmed at drinks after tea on the second day of England’s warm-up match against a Sri Lanka Board President’s XI following talks between the ECB and the hosts. Joe Root left the field just before the abandonment to speak to Ashley Giles, England’s director of cricket, on the phone. The England captain then went back on to the field and the match was scrapped. It had become an increasingly futile practice game and the players exchanged fist bumps before heading for the dressing rooms at the P Sara Oval here in the Sri Lankan capital. ‘After discussions with Sri Lanka Cricket, we have today made the decision to return our players to the UK and postpone the Test series between Sri Lanka and England,’ said an ECB statement. ‘At this time, the physical and mental well-being of our players and support teams is paramount. We will now look to bring them home to their families as soon as possible. These are unprecedented times. Decisions like this go beyond cricket. ‘We would like to thank Sri Lanka Cricket for their outstanding support and assistance throughout this situation. We look forward to returning to Sri Lanka in the very near future to fulfil this important Test series.’

The move will come as a huge relief to an England squad, who had clearly wanted to end the tour as soon as possible. One dressing-room source estimated that as many as 20 of the 25-man playing and support staff wanted to quit immediately. The government’s stance left the uncomfortable prospect of around 3,000 England supporters still heading for Sri Lanka over the weekend with the possibility of spreading a virus that, so far, has been limited to just three confirmed cases on this island. But ECB acted decisively yesterday and displayed both common sense and a duty of care to their players and staff. Both boards have vowed that the series has not been cancelled but it will be tough to fit yet another Test series into a busy winter programme later this year. The only viable option could be that England head to Sri Lanka early next January and play two Tests en route to a five-Test series in India, but that would take an ever-expanding calendar to bursting point. England will fly home today not knowing if their domestic season will start on time, but relieved that they can rejoin their families rather than watch developments escalate from afar.