The Sri Lankan cricket team has voiced worries about the safety conditions in England in light of the anti-immigrant riots that have occurred in multiple towns. In response, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) reassured Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) of the security measures in place.
Players who are already in England for pre-series training have voiced concerns about the unrest because there is no security plan in place for this portion of the trip. The nine-person team, which consists of two support staff members and seven players, has requested that SLC set up enhanced protection for their travels to and from a venue close to London over the next few days.
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Talking to the media, one Sri Lankan player said, “Most of the issues seem not to be close to where we are, but everyone is still a little concerned.” “We can’t really go out to dinner or do anything like that. Mostly we stay in the hotel. No one wants to run into trouble and get beaten up. We’ve asked the board to try and ask for some security for us until the main team arrives, but we haven’t heard anything back yet.”
The ECB’s security protocol kicks in on Sunday when most of the team leaves for a three-match Test series against England. Mahinda Halangoda, the team manager for Sri Lanka, stated that he had brought up his concerns with the ECB after reading news stories from Manchester, where Sri Lanka plays its first Test match on August 21, in particular. Halangoda is still in Sri Lanka.
“I raised the issue with them, but the ECB responded very quickly and sent us their comprehensive security arrangements,” Halangoda said. “We’ll be having a security liaison on the tour from them as well.”
In recent days, there have been sizable counter-protests targeted at defending immigrant-owned businesses, houses of worship, and other locations frequented by immigrants, even though some far-right demonstrations have been violent. On an emergency teleconference on Wednesday, the UK government assured sporting associations that the country was still safe for sports. The UK police have made it clear that they will crack down on and prevent violence.
Sri Lanka are scheduled to play three Test match series in England, beginning on August 21 in Manchester. The sides then go to Lord’s for the second Test on August 29, before concluding at The Oval on September 6.
