After witnessing the sharp spike in new Covid-19 cases across the country, the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Saturday Indefinitely postponed Youth U-23 tournament Semi-finals, Final, Cricket Age reliably learns.
The tournament was halted on 7 October, the day the semi-finals were to be played, following the COVID-19 outbreak. Then, recently, SLC received Health Authorities green light to finish the tournament. Accordingly, two semi-finals were scheduled to be played on October 27 and the final on 29 October.
“Following the latest surge in Covid-19 cases, we have decided to postpone the remaining fixtures of the tournament” a top SLC official told Cricket Age.
Authorities in Sri Lanka on Saturday closed at least two fishery harbours and many stalls after a surge of 609 cases linked to the country’s main fish market. The government also widened the curfew in parts of Colombo. At least 11 villages were isolated in the densely populated Western province, which includes the capital. Health authorities on Wednesday temporarily closed the fish market on Colombo’s outskirts after 49 traders tested positive for. By Saturday, the number of cases went up to 609. Authorities say the outbreak is related to a cluster in a garment factory early this month, which has grown to 3,426 cases, almost half the country’s total of 6,287. It broke a two-month lull in infections.
Several thousand people have been asked to quarantine at home. Schools and key public offices are closed, gatherings banned and restrictions imposed on public transport.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Sri Lanka has already lost out on hosting a couple of high-profile cricket series. In March, England’s two-Test tour of Sri Lanka was postponed after the ECB requested for it due to the growing threat of the virus. Last week, India’s tour of Sri Lanka was also called off, an assignment that should have seen India played three ODIs and three T20Is starting June end and continuing till July.
Just few weeks ago, Bangladesh’s three-Test tour of Sri Lanka was also postponed indefinitely, following a stalemate between the BCB and SLC over quarantine requirements, with weeks of negotiation failing to yield an agreement between the two boards.
