SYDNEY: Cricket Australia is monitoring the unrest in Sri Lanka but is confident the national team’s seven-week tour of the island will go ahead as scheduled in June and July, the governing body said on Tuesday.

Seven people died and more than 200 were injured on Monday as thousands defied a curfew to protest against the government of the Indian Ocean nation, which is battling the worst economic crisis in its history.

Australia announced three strong squads last month for the tour, which includes a Twenty20 series, five One-day Internationals as well as two Tests in Galle. An Australia “A” team will also play four matches.

Two of the T20 matches that kick off the tour early next month are in the capital Colombo, where the worst of Monday’s violence took place, as are three of the one-day internationals and two of the “A” matches.

Cricket Australia’s security chief visited Sri Lanka last month, when a state of emergency was first declared, and gave the all-clear for the tour.

Last month, Australia completed its first tour of Pakistan since 1998 under “presidential-level” security, winning the three-Test series 1-0.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2022