Cricketers at practices today sans coaching staff 

Sri Lankan cricketers will have to train and practice sans the coaching staff

• Sri Lanka-India series postponed for five days by coronavirus

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Following a string of disruptions within the Sri Lanka cricket team in the past few weeks over players’ suspension due to the bio-bubble breach in England and a chaotic contracts standoff with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), there was some good news for the players selected for the upcoming six-match white ball series against India when they were given the green light by the SLC Medical Advisory Committee headed by Prof. Arjuna de Silva to commence practices from today at the R. Premadasa Stadium (Khettarama).

Prof. de Silva said the players were tested yesterday and all their PCRs were negative. “They have already started training in the gym at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel but from today (12), they will commence practices at Khettarama.”

“They will not be training with the coaches and the support staff because they were immediate contacts with batting Coach Grant Flower who tested positive upon his return from England. The coaches and support staff will be released only on 14 July to join the players at practice. Till then, the players will be on their own but obviously, the coaching staff will be telling them what to do,” he said.

Prof. de Silva said that generally, they have a protocol to test the players roughly every three to five days, but when there is an issue, they are tested more often.

The squad that will commence practice is the one picked for the series against India and comprises the majority of the players who went on the recent tour to England.

Flower and the Lankan team’s data analyst GT Niroshan were both tested positive on their return from England.

“Flower has been in contact with some people in the England team, and that’s how he had got it and from him, it went to Niroshan. That is the reason the squad and the coaching staff had to go into isolation and the dates for the start of the Indian series also had to be pushed back. Because of Flower’s infection, we had to postpone a whole tour by a few days, and the tour almost got cancelled. It’s a big responsibility,” said Prof. de Silva.

Soon after the white ball series against Sri Lanka ended, seven members of England’s squad and support staff tested positive for COVID-19 and the results forced England’s entire squad into isolation with the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) naming an entirely new squad for the series against Pakistan.

Sri Lanka’s series against India that was scheduled to begin on 13 July has now been pushed back by five days and will commence on 18 July with the first ODI, followed by the second and third ODIs on 20 and 23 July. The three T20Is will be played on 25, 27 and 29 July. All six matches will take place at the R. Premadasa Stadium.

Asked to comment on the three Sri Lankan cricketers Kusal Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella and Danushka Gunathilaka who broke health protocols while in Durham and were suspended by SLC from all forms of cricket and sent home midway through the tour, Prof. de Silva commented: “It was very disappointing that these players have done a thing like this. We are taking a lot of trouble to keep them healthy and COVID free. They were definitely irresponsible. I hope they regret their actions. They are good players no doubt.”

“It’s not like in the past when you sneak out and then it’s only your performance. Now the whole team and the whole tour has been put in jeopardy. As soon as they will finish their 14 days quarantine SLC will hold an inquiry and take action. That is no longer a medical issue it’s a disciplinary matter,” he said.

“Here of course it is very difficult for them to sneak out because Army commandos are guarding them. What happened in England won’t happen here. But I think everyone has learnt their lesson and our players will behave.”

“England are very worried about their players’ emotional status. It is not easy to be in a bubble for months and months. That much we have to understand. They wanted to relax the rule. They have allowed even our players to go on the road but not to the town. You can walk in the park and all that to relax a bit,” he said.

After the recent spate of incidents, Prof. de Silva’s medical team is closely monitoring all the players.