Coronavirus outbreak: England tour of Sri Lanka called off
The widespread coronavirus is taking a toll on all sport activities around the world. And now, England's Test tour of Sri Lanka has been called off due to the growing threat of the the COVID-19 pandemic. The ECB confirmed that the aim is to reschedule the series. The decision came when England were playing their final four-day warm-up match. Here's more.
ECB was in contact with major bodies
The ECB has been in constant communication with the Sri Lankan and British High Commissions. Besides that, the board was also in touch with Sri Lanka Cricket. The UK and Lanka governments intensified their respective measures to contain the deadly virus. As per ECB, the decision to cancel the series was beyond cricket.
Our aim will be to reschedule the series, says ECB
"After overnight discussions between our teams in Sri Lanka and the SLC, the decision has been made to postpone the series and bring players and support staff home. Our aim will be to reschedule the series," said an ECB spokesman.
ECB postpones the Test series between Lanka and England
'Due to the Covid-19 pandemic worsening globally, and after discussions with Sri Lanka Cricket, we have today made the decision to return our players to the UK and postpone the forthcoming Test series between Sri Lanka and England," the ECB said. "At this time, the physical and mental well being of our players and support teams is paramount."
How are England and Lanka placed in World Test Championship?
The Test series was part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship. The two-Test series was set to start from March 19. England are currently placed fourth in the Test Championship table. They have 146 points after two Test series and nine Tests in total. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka are sixth and have 80 points in their bag.
#CoronavirusImpact: BCCI suspends IPL 2020 till April 15
Meanwhile, the BCCI has decided to suspend the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 season till April 15. Further, it could be played behind closed doors. The decision was taken by the top brass of the BCCI. The BCCI said, "We have decided to suspend IPL 2020 till April 15, as a precautionary measure against the Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19) situation."
