Sri Lanka tour of West Indies 2021: Sri Lanka are scheduled to tour West Indies for an all-format tour later this month.
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Sri Lanka head coach Micky Arthur and opening batsman Lahiru Thirimanne have tested positive for COVID-19 and have been advised to follow Government’s health protocol.
Both Arthur and Thirimanne were part of a 36-member provisional squad which was scheduled to leave for West Indies for an all-format tour which comprises of two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is.
“They were detected following PCR Tests carried out yesterday [February 2] for the entire 36-member squad, along with the Coaching Staff, Net Bowlers, and the HPC Staff.
“Immediately upon identification, both Mickey Arthur and Lahiru Thirimanne have been directed to follow the Government’s health protocol laid out on Covid – 19,” Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said in a statement.
Thirimanne, 31, had made his Test comeback during the tour of South Africa last month despite facing severe criticism for repeatedly given chances. In three Tests since then, the left-hand batsman has scored 219 runs at an average of 36.50 including his second Test century against England.
Will Sri Lanka tour of West Indies 2021 be postponed?
While the detailed fixtures of the tour were yet to be made public, Sri Lanka were slated to play the first match from February 20. With their head coach and a main batsman falling prey to the virus, speculations are rife that SLC are likely to open up on the possibility of rescheduling the tour.
“Considering the current situation, SLC is exploring the possibility of rescheduling the Tour of West Indies, which was scheduled to commence on 20th Feb. 2021,” the statement read.
Given the limited number of days for the aforementioned date, a final decision is expected to arrive soon. It is worth mentioning that Australia had postponed their tour of South Africa as recent as yesterday.
The last time Sri Lanka had toured West Indies was for a three-match Test series which ended in a 1-1 draw in 2018.
