WORLD OF CONFUSION

Latest on crisis that has rocked the sporting planet

ENGLAND captain Joe Root says there was no choice other than to cut short the tour of Sri Lanka as fears over the spread of coronavirus in the UK had affected the mental well-being of the players.

Root, speaking following the decision on Friday to postpone the two-Test series that was scheduled to start next week, also admitted there was genuine concern players might have been cut adrift from the rest of the squad in a Sri Lankan quarantine facility had any of the touring party shown signs of illness.

Thousands of English fans were scheduled to travel ahead of next week’s first Test in Galle, which would have also exposed Sri Lanka, a country with just seven confirmed cases of Covid-19 so far, to much higher rates of infection than they are currently experiencing.

Root said: ‘There was an element of relief. The right decision has been made. You could see that the players’ minds were elsewhere, thinking about people back home.

‘There was a lot of talk in the dressing room and it got to a stage where it overshadowed the cricket.

‘Looking at how quickly things have happened at home, you’re thinking about family and friends who might be a bit more vulnerable and that’s hard when you’re a long way away.

‘It was clear it was getting in the way of performance and affecting the mental well-being of the guys.’

On the prospect of players or fans being quarantined, Root added: ‘There were a number of scenarios. You think how things might have gone — being in isolation here. If one of the lads, or a fan travelling, was to get in these conditions, it could be quite a scary experience.’