London: England’s tour of Sri Lanka, which was postponed during March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has been rescheduled to take place in January 2021, behind closed doors in Galle, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Wednesday.
The touring party will depart on a chartered flight on January 2 and will be subject to quarantine in Hambantota. During this period, the team will be able to train and prepare for five days from January 5 to 9 at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium.
The teams will contest two matches as part of the ICC World Test Championship, with the first match beginning on January 14 and the second on January 22.
The ECB and SLC have agreed to biosecurity and travel plans for the rearranged tour following the postponement in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For England, who are third in the World Test Championship table, this will be their penultimate series in the inaugural tournament, while they hope to conclude their campaign against India in February, subject to confirmation of the India tour schedule.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka sit in sixth place in the standings, as they look to increase their win percentage and push up the table ahead of the tournament final at Lord’s in June 2021.
