Cricket Australia monitor unrest in Sri Lanka ahead of tour

Sri Lankan national cricket team members practice keeping a one meter distance during their first practice session after almost two months lockdown amidst concerns about the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Colombo, Sri Lanka, June 2, 2020. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte

Cricket Australia is currently monitoring the unrest in Sri Lanka due to the country’s ongoing economic crisis ahead of Australia’s all-format tour in June.

Cricket Australia (CA) remains confident next month's tour of the country will go ahead as planned despite fast-growing tensions and unrest within Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned on Monday night, following months of protests after the nation was plunged into its worst economic crisis in decades.

His resignation followed an attack by government supporters on protesters, leading to a countrywide curfew and armed troops being deployed in the capital of Colombo.

Video shows tense situation in Negombo (38km north of the capital, Colombo) Sri Lanka where shops and vehicles torched - from MDW Live News-Sri Lanka

According to the Associated Press, a ruling party lawmaker and three other people died in the violence.

The all-format Australia tour of Sri Lanka is set to Colombo, Kandy and Galle.

The tour is expected to start off when Australia’s men arrive in Colombo in three weeks.

The team’s will play three Twenty20s, five ODIs and two Tests between June 7 and July 12.

They will spend 16 of those days in Colombo, where the current violence has unfolded.

CA officials had until this point been certain the tour would go ahead, and remain confident. Head of security Stuart Bailey completed a reconnaissance tour of the country last month in the midst of the economic crisis, and it was cleared as safe to visit.

CA officials will now start to monitor the situation more closely following Monday night's violence, but are still confident the tour will proceed.

There is also a thought that Australia touring Sri Lanka, where there have been significant food shortages and power cuts, could assist economically.

The tour of Sri Lanka will begin a busy 18 months for the Australian team.

It has been confirmed they will travel to India for three T20 matches before the home World Cup where they are defending champions, as well as host West Indies in a series in Australia.

(ESPN Cric Info)