Sri Lankan cricketers in isolation on return from UK after COVID-19 outbreak in England camp

CHENNAI: With seven members of the England cricket team including three players testing positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has put its players in isolation on their arrival to the country and are awaiting results of their RT-PCR tests.

The Sri Lankan players had returned from England on Tuesday after playing a limited-overs series including three T20Is and as many ODIs. They are scheduled to play India on their home turf with the first ODI scheduled on July 13.

While the Sri Lanka coach Mickey Arthur admitted that they are having anxious times as the two teams had a fair amount of banter after the final ODI which was washed out, the SLC affirms the risk to their players is very low. "We have done a risk assessment. We think the risk to our players is very low. However, they are in isolation till the PCR results are received," professor Arjuna De Silva, head of the SLC medical panel, told The New Indian Express.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was forced to name a new squad after the virus outbreak. As many as nine uncapped players were named in the squad that is scheduled to play Pakistan in three ODIs and as many T20Is. The series begins with a one-day international in Cardiff on Thursday. Ben Stokes was named captain of the side after the outbreak forced captain Eoin Morgan into isolation.

The protocols of testing players and putting them in isolation before receiving the test results were already in place even before the outbreak of the virus in the England camp. And the SLC believes the existing norms are enough to counter the situation. "No need to have any new protocols as our ones are rigorous enough. Also, our players are vaccinated with Sputnik and have antibodies as well," added professor De Silva.

The test results are expected on Wednesday. In case, any member of the Kusal Perera-led side tests positive, it may lead to drastic changes in the Sri Lankan squad scheduled to play the Men in Blue captained by opener Shikhar Dhawan. The first ODI is scheduled to be played on July 13 in Colombo.