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Sri Lanka squared the three-Test series 1-1 by winning the final match by four wickets in Barbados when they last toured in the West Indies in 2018[/caption]
Sri Lanka cricket tour of West Indies, which was to begin on 18 February, came under a cloud of uncertainty when their Head Coach Mickey Arthur and Test batsman Lahiru Thirimanne were tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday (3). Sri Lanka had already begun their squad practice on 28 January but the unfortunate circumstances have now caused the players to be self-isolated hampering their preparations.
To make matters worse, many leading squad members, including Thirimanne, had taken part at a wedding in Colombo a day before on Tuesday (2) notably overlooking necessary Covid-19 health guidelines.
What will happen now? Will Sri Lanka make it to the West Indies? Or, will the tour be curtailed?
“We cannot take a decision right now until we get proper PCR reports of the players. We will probably have to wait until tomorrow (today) or day after to get the medical advice. Based on medical advice only we will have to go forward. We are not thinking of pulling out or cancelling. We are trying to see how best we could proceed with the tour. But it all depends on the medical advice,” explained a senior Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) official yesterday (4).
“It is nothing to do with cricket. It is not a technical situation right now. It’s all medical,” he added.
But unconfirmed reports said today (5) that the tour will be cancelled.
"The discussions are still underway. An official decision (on the fate of the series) is yet to be taken," an SLC source said today.
Players need to be fit to go
“From our perspective, the two Test matches are not that much important. Even if we win, we will gain some points, but still we will not be able to come to either the position no. 1 or 2 of the World Test Championship. But the West Indies like to keep the full tour. That’s may be due to their agreements with their partners and all that. We have given them some indications also to shrink the series. But there is no proper decision yet. Even to shrink the series and go, the players need to be fit. If the players are asymptomatic, it’s a risk for their (West Indies) players also,” the SLC source added on Thursday.
“After going there, if they become positive (will be an issue). Their protocols are pretty much relaxed. They only want us to be in (hotel) room for three days. And if the PCR test reports are negative, they can conduct practice. So we need to be very careful.”
SLC don’t control situation
“We were planning to go on the 18th (February). We have practically booked the flight. We have applied for visas. Ten players have got the US transit visas. They are supposed to go to the US embassy on Monday (8). We still don’t know whether we are supposed to send them there (to the embassy) on Monday. That is also another concern due to the risk factor involving. It also depends on the medical advice we’ll get,” he clarified.
“We (SLC) don’t control this situation,” he further added.
According to the tentative schedule, Sri Lanka are to play three ODIs, three T20Is, and two Tests in Antigua and St. Lucia from 2 to 31 March.
Sri Lanka squared the three-Test series 1-1 by winning the final match by four wickets in Barbados when they last toured in the West Indies in 2018[/caption]
Sri Lanka cricket tour of West Indies, which was to begin on 18 February, came under a cloud of uncertainty when their Head Coach Mickey Arthur and Test batsman Lahiru Thirimanne were tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday (3). Sri Lanka had already begun their squad practice on 28 January but the unfortunate circumstances have now caused the players to be self-isolated hampering their preparations.
To make matters worse, many leading squad members, including Thirimanne, had taken part at a wedding in Colombo a day before on Tuesday (2) notably overlooking necessary Covid-19 health guidelines.
What will happen now? Will Sri Lanka make it to the West Indies? Or, will the tour be curtailed?
“We cannot take a decision right now until we get proper PCR reports of the players. We will probably have to wait until tomorrow (today) or day after to get the medical advice. Based on medical advice only we will have to go forward. We are not thinking of pulling out or cancelling. We are trying to see how best we could proceed with the tour. But it all depends on the medical advice,” explained a senior Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) official yesterday (4).
“It is nothing to do with cricket. It is not a technical situation right now. It’s all medical,” he added.
But unconfirmed reports said today (5) that the tour will be cancelled.
"The discussions are still underway. An official decision (on the fate of the series) is yet to be taken," an SLC source said today.
Players need to be fit to go
“From our perspective, the two Test matches are not that much important. Even if we win, we will gain some points, but still we will not be able to come to either the position no. 1 or 2 of the World Test Championship. But the West Indies like to keep the full tour. That’s may be due to their agreements with their partners and all that. We have given them some indications also to shrink the series. But there is no proper decision yet. Even to shrink the series and go, the players need to be fit. If the players are asymptomatic, it’s a risk for their (West Indies) players also,” the SLC source added on Thursday.
“After going there, if they become positive (will be an issue). Their protocols are pretty much relaxed. They only want us to be in (hotel) room for three days. And if the PCR test reports are negative, they can conduct practice. So we need to be very careful.”
SLC don’t control situation
“We were planning to go on the 18th (February). We have practically booked the flight. We have applied for visas. Ten players have got the US transit visas. They are supposed to go to the US embassy on Monday (8). We still don’t know whether we are supposed to send them there (to the embassy) on Monday. That is also another concern due to the risk factor involving. It also depends on the medical advice we’ll get,” he clarified.
“We (SLC) don’t control this situation,” he further added.
According to the tentative schedule, Sri Lanka are to play three ODIs, three T20Is, and two Tests in Antigua and St. Lucia from 2 to 31 March.