Coronavirus outbreak: Sri Lanka-England Test series postponed, confirms ECB

SL vs ENG: The two teams were scheduled to play two Tests in Galle and Colombo respectively, however, the England board announced their players will be heading back home as a precautionary measure.

The two-match Test series between Sri Lanka and England has been postponed due to coronavirus threat, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Friday. The two teams were scheduled to play two Tests in Galle and Colombo respectively, however, the England board announced their players will be heading back home as a precautionary measure.

File image: Sri Lankan cricket captain Dimuth Karunaratne, left, and his English counterpart Joe Root. (AP)

“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 statement read.

“At this time, the physical and mental wellbeing of our players and support teams is paramount. We will now look to bring them home to their families as soon as possible. These are completely unprecedented times, and decisions like this go beyond cricket.

“We would like to thank our colleagues at Sri Lanka Cricket for their outstanding support and assistance throughout this situation. We look forward to returning to Sri Lanka in the very near future to fulfil this important Test series,” it added.