The Sri Lankan cricket team has voiced worries over player safety in advance of their next test series, which is set to start at Old Trafford on August 21st against England. These worries are a result of the recent riots in Britain that are targeting immigrants in different areas.

For pre-series training, a number of Sri Lankan players have already arrived in England.

It has been claimed that they have expressed their concerns to the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board and asked for more security.

“Most of the issues seem not to be close to where we are but everyone is still a little concerned. We can’t go out to dinner or do anything like that. Mostly we stay in the hotel. No one wants to run into trouble and get beaten up. We’ve asked the board to try and ask for some security for us until the main team arrives, but we haven’t heard anything back yet,” a Sri Lankan player in England told ESPNcricinfo.

Mahinda Halangoda, the manager of the Sri Lankan team, verified that he had spoken with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) about these security concerns in writing. This was especially true in light of reports of disturbances in Manchester, the location of the opening test match.

“I raised the issue with them, and the ECB responded very quickly and sent us their comprehensive security arrangements. We’ll be having a security liaison on the tour from them as well,” Halangoda stated.

There are similarities between this circumstance and Sri Lanka’s own experiences in 2022. The island nation experienced severe political and economic unrest, which prompted Australia and Pakistan to express ethical reservations over the country’s hosting of a bilateral series. In the end, the turmoil forced the Asia Cup—which was originally scheduled to take place in Sri Lanka—to be moved to the United Arab Emirates.

Although the Sri Lankan team has been assured by the ECB of extensive security measures, the players’ anxiety highlights the possible influence of wider social issues on international athletic events. The incident emphasizes how crucial it is to have open lines of communication and thorough security plans in place to guarantee athletes’ safety and wellbeing, especially when events take place during times of social turmoil.

The SLC will want to make sure that their players don’t have too much concern when it comes to the forthcoming matchup. Future touring teams negotiating comparable situations will be able to refer to the precedent that the EB’s security protocols and overall scenario management have created.