Avoid selfies and autographs: ECB to England cricketers in Sri Lanka

SL vs ENG: England are scheduled to play two Tests in Sri Lanka — first Test in Galle starting March 19 and second Test in Colombo starting March 27.

After England skipper Joe Root revealed they won’t be shaking hands with their Sri Lankan counterparts in their upcoming two-match Test series, the England and Wales Cricket Broad (ECB) have gone a step further and asked players to refrain from ‘any unnecessary public engagements’ on the tour. The two teams are scheduled to play two Tests in Sri Lanka — first Test in Galle starting March 19 and second Test in Colombo starting March 27.

File image: England captain Joe Root is welcomed by a hotel staff. (REUTERS)

The ECB urged players to avoid taking selfies and signing autographs for fans amid coronavirus outbreak which has gripped the entire globe. In their bid to keep the players away from virus, the England board asked players to keep their distance from fan engagements. They also urged the fans to ‘maintain good levels of hygiene’.

“England players and staff have been asked to avoid any unnecessary public engagements, and temporarily avoid casual supporter interaction such as selfies or autographs,” the ECB said in a statement uploaded on its social media handle.

“Whilst we acknowledge that this will be disappointing for some supporters, we stress that this a measure to protect the ongoing wellbeing of the England Test squad and is a decision which has not been taken lightly.

“In addition, England players and staff are also being instructed to avoid shaking hands where a ‘fist pump’ or a personal greeting will suffice. Players will no longer participate in handshakes with each other or the opposition,” the statement added.

Earlier, skipper Joe Root had stated his team will not go for fair play handshakes on their tour of Sri Lanka, amid coronavirus threat. This came in the aftermath of England players being hit by gastroenteritis and flu problems on their tour of South Africa recently.

“After the illnesses that swept through the squad in South Africa, we are well aware of the importance of keeping contact to a minimum and we’ve been given some really sound and sensible advice from our medical team to help prevent spreading germs and bacteria,” Root was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

“We are not shaking hands with each other, using instead the well-established fist bump, and we are washing hands regularly and wiping down surfaces using the anti-bacterial wipes and gels we’ve been given in our immunity packs.”