CA monitoring unrest ahead of Sri Lanka tour

Cricket Australia is monitoring fast-growing unrest in Sri Lanka but remains confident next month's tour of the country will go ahead as planned.

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.

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

Image Id: D1D934418E4645C7A81586119856E023 Image Caption: Government supporters and police confront each other in Colombo // Getty

Australia's men are due to arrive into Colombo in three weeks for the start of their tour, which includes 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.

It comes after Australia made the call to complete their first tour of Pakistan in 24 years in March and April, persisting with it even after a suicide bomber killed more than 30 people about a two hour-drive from the venue of the first Test.

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.

Australia are expected to play a number of limited overs matches, potentially including some abroad, before hosting the T20 World Cup in October-November.

A schedule for the home summer is also due out at the end of this month, and will include Test series against West Indies and South Africa.

Australia also have Test tours of India after the home series and an away Ashes next year, before a 50-over World Cup back in India later in 2023.

A make-up tour of South Africa also looms between the Ashes and ODI World Cup, after the three-Test series was cancelled last year due to COVID-19.

There is a chance that format could change to include at least some white-ball cricket, or potentially become limited-overs matches only in the lead-in to the World Cup.

Qantas Tour of Sri Lanka, 2022

T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner, Matthew Wade

June 7: First T20, Colombo

June 8: Second T20, Colombo

June 11: Third T20, Kandy

ODI squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner

June 14: First ODI, Kandy

June 16: Second ODI, Kandy

June 19: Third ODI, Colombo

June 21: Fourth ODI, Colombo

June 24: Fifth ODI, Colombo

Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner

June 29 - July 3: First Test, Galle

July 8-12: Second Test, Galle

Australia A fixtures

Squad: Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Pete Handscomb, Aaron Hardie, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Henry Hunt, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Nic Maddinson, Todd Murphy, Josh Philippe, Matt Renshaw, Jhye Richardson, Tanveer Sangha, Mark Steketee

June 8: First one-day game, Colombo

June 10: Second one-day game, Colombo

June 14-17: first-class tour match, Hambantota

June 21-24: first-class tour match, Hambantota