The upcoming two Test-match series between Sri Lanka and England has been postponed thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced the same in a statement on Twitter.

SL v ENG 2020: Ben Stokes down with abdominal problem; ECB confirms the issue not linked to COVID-19

The two Test matches were supposed to be played on March 19 in Galle and March 27 in Colombo SSC respectively. The tour match between England and Sri Lanka Board President’s XI has completed two days of play while this article was been written.

The ECB wrote in its statement, “Due to the Covid-19 pandemic worsening globally, and after discussions with Sri Lanka Cricket, we have today made the decision to return our players to the UK and postpone the forthcoming Test series between Sri Lanka and England. At this time, the physical and mental wellbeing of our players and support teams is paramount. We will now look to bring them home to their families as soon as possible. These are completely unprecedented times, and decisions like this go beyond cricket.”

They thanked the Sri Lanka Cricket Board for their help and cooperation. “We would like to thank our colleagues at Sri Lanka Cricket for their outstanding support and assistance throughout this situation. We look forward to returning to Sri Lanka in the very near future to fulfill this important Test series,” they added.

(ecb.co.uk inputs)