Sri Lanka coach Micky Arthur hopeful of England tour: "We need to get cricket back"

Having not played since the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Arthur hopes the sport can return, starting with a series against South Africa

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Micky Arthur, the Sri Lanka head coach, has urged the government to ease Covid-19 restrictions to ensure international cricket can return to the county ahead of England's proposed tour in 2021.

Though cases of the virus have been limited to under 5,000, with deaths standing at 13, the sport is yet to resume.

The Sri Lankan government have put in place a 14-day quarantine period for anyone arriving into the country, a seemingly non-negotiable regulation which forced Bangladesh to pull out of their Test tour and several delays to the Lanka Premier League draft.

England are hopeful of returning to Sri Lanka for the two Tests which they were forced to pull out of last March as the virus swept across the globe. But that trip appears contingent on a change of policy from the powers that be.

Prior to that tour, South Africa are due in south Asia for a Test series of their own.

Arthur says a change of stance is required to ensure that both tours are possible and that Sri Lanka do not become cut-adrift in international cricket.

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"We had two months of total lockdown - proper lockdown - meaning solitary confinement and the army outside patrolling the streets. But after all that we sit here in a country that is basically normalised," he said according to Press Association.

"The government has done a remarkable job. We have been able to go out, go to a restaurant or sip a gin and tonic on the Galle Face, but we've had no international cricket.

"We need to get cricket back up and running otherwise we may as well shut the whole thing down and wait for a vaccine. I'm really positive. I'm hoping we can fulfil our fixtures in South Africa come December and then have England over here to start a really busy 2021.

"Here in Sri Lanka there is a strong drive to get the game going, from the CEO to the president, everyone shares the sentiment."

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