England cricket team to fly to Sri Lanka to play Test series despite travel ban

England's cricket team will be allowed to travel to Sri Lanka despite suspending all the flights from Britain due to new strain of coronavirus, as per island's cricket authorities said Wednesday.

The English squad is set to arrive in the island country on January 3 to play two Tests that will be played behind closed doors in Galle that will kick off on January 14.

Sri Lanka Cricket chief executive Ashley de Silva told AFP the visitors would be tested for coronavirus before departure and on arrival, and would also have to undergo quarantine for 10-days in a "bio-secure bubble".

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The team would travel to Sri Lanka on a chartered flight, he said.

"Our doctors have been talking to the England team's doctors and they are quite satisfied with the arrangements," de Silva said.

"Both teams are looking forward to the tournament."

On Tuesday, Sri Lankan civil aviation authorities suspended all direct flights from Britain and anyone who had visited Britain in the previous two weeks was also barred from entry.

Sri Lanka has seen a recent spike in coronavirus cases, but has still officially recorded a relatively low 38,000 cases with 183 deaths.

(Inputs from AFP)