The upcoming Sri Lanka – Australia series will be played in a relaxed bubble, Cricket Age reliably learns.
The Australian cricket team arrived in Colombo on Wednesday without new coach Andrew McDonald, who has tested positive for Covid. Pat Cummins captains the side which will play two Tests, while the Aaron Finch-led team will compete in five ODIs and three T20 internationals.
“Will allow self testing for the visitors. They can move in the hotel and selected restaurants within medical protocols, but strictly no night clubs” a top SLC official told Cricket Age.
Since Covid-19 struck, cricketers have been forced to play sport in strict bio-bubbles, which have caused mental fatigue, resulting in many of them opting out of key tours and games. However, In recent time, the cricket boards have started lifting Bio-bubble restrictions. The BCCI (The Board of Control for Cricket in India) also recently announced that it will not conduct the forthcoming T20I series against South Africa in a bio-bubble.
The Australian tour gets underway with a T20 International at RPS on 7th June. After back-to-back games at RPS, the teams will travel to Pallekele for the third T20. The arrival of the Australian team is a big boost for Sri Lanka Cricket as the nation is set to host the Asia Cup.
Australia’s first tour of Sri Lanka in six years, which features eight limited-overs matches and two Tests, marks the beginning of McDonald’s tenure since succeeding Justin Langer in the job last month.
Assistant coach Michael Di Venuto would oversee the team in the first T20 match on June 7, while McDonald was expected to join the squad ahead of the second match, the news service, cricket.com.au, reported.
McDonald returned a positive result on Tuesday afternoon, it added.
The Australia squad raised concerns about touring Sri Lanka, which is in the midst of an economic crisis, but the cricket board of the South Asian country has declared the tour will go on as scheduled.
Sri Lanka is reeling under its worst economic crisis since independence in 1948, with a severe shortage of foreign exchange severely curtailing imports, including essentials such as fuel and medicines.
Sri Lanka, however, will miss the services of Avishka Fernando and Kusal Janith Perera who are not fit.
Nuwanindu Fernando also gets into the side following an excellent tour of England with the Sri Lanka Development Squad that ended early this month.
