Arthur keen for England to come
SRI Lanka head coach Mickey Arthur is “really positive” about the prospects of hosting England’s Test tour early next year, warning international cricket cannot afford to sustain a winter of postponements.
England aborted their original two-match trip in March, flying home from Colombo as concerns over the global coronavirus pandemic spiralled.
There is a window at the start of January for the rescheduled series to take place, but the Sri Lankan Government’s insistence on a 14-day solitary quarantine period, which would preclude training, saw Bangladesh pull out of a proposed visit this month.
The England & Wales Cricket Board would be unlikely to commit to similar demands, but there is optimism more lenient requirements could be agreed, allowing England to train at the remote stadium in Dambulla during their two-week quarantine.
A recent outbreak associated to a factory has seen a temporary tightening of restrictions but Arthur, who has been in Sri Lanka for the duration of the crisis, believes it will soon be time to take the next step.
“We had two months of total lockdown – proper lockdown – meaning solitary confinement and the army patrolling the streets. But after all that we sit here in a country that is basically normalised,” he told the PA news agency.
“The Government has done a remarkable job. We have been able to go out, go to a restaurant or sip a gin and tonic on the Galle Face, but we’ve had no international cricket.
“We need to get cricket back up and running otherwise we may as well shut the whole thing down and wait for a vaccine. I’m really positive. I’m hoping we can fulfil our fixtures in South Africa come December and have England over here to start a really busy 2021.
“Here in Sri Lanka there is a strong drive to get the game going, from the CEO to the president, everyone shares the sentiment.
“We are an industry that needs to be playing, and being broadcast, to keep the lifeblood of the game going. I understand the bigger picture, and I’m not here to push cricket from the rooftop, but from a cricket sense we need to play.”