The Sri Lankan men's cricket team has flown to England to play a three-match Test series despite growing security concerns over anti-immigrant riots in the country.
The situation in the United Kingdom raises concern as people chanting anti-immigrant and Islamophobic slogans continue to clash with cops.
The condition worsened after a few right-wing activists used various social media platforms to spread misinformation about the knife attack that ended up claiming the lives of three girls during a dance event.
Why is the Sri Lankan team worried about the security?
The Sri Lankan team has a genuine reason to worry about its security since the unrest in the UK has led to thousands of arrests thus far.
The incident that triggered the violence unfolded on July 29 when three girls between 6 and 9 were stabbed and killed in Southport. The attack also left eight other kids and two adults injured.
The police detained a 17-year-old suspect and rumours quickly circulated across social media platforms that the suspect was an asylum seeker or a Muslim immigrant.
Sri Lanka and England desperate for wins
The Sri Lankan cricket team is in the fourth spot on the World Test Championship standings with two wins and two losses. Skipper Dhananjaya de Silva will have to lead the team by example but the challenge will be quite stern.
On the other hand, England are playing remarkably at home and are fresh from the clean sweep they registered against West Indies at home.
Sri Lanka squad for Test series vs England
Dhananjaya De Silva (c), Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (vc), Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Nisala Tharaka, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Jeffrey Vandersay, Milan Rathnayake
Sri Lanka's tour of England 2024 schedule
| Date | Match | Venue |
| Wednesday, August 21, 2024 | 1st Test match | Old Trafford, Manchester |
| Thursday, August 29, 2024 | 2nd Test match | Lord's |
| Friday, September 6, 2024 | 3rd Test match | Kennington Oval, London |
World Test Championship Points Table
| Rank | Team | Matches | Wins | Losses | Draw | PCT |
| 1. | India | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 68.51 |
| 2. | Australia | 12 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 62.50 |
| 3. | New Zealand | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 50.00 |
| 4. | Sri Lanka | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 50.00 |
| 5. | Pakistan | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 36.66 |
| 6. | England | 13 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 36.54 |
| 7. | South Africa | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 25.00 |
| 8. | Bangladesh | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 25.00 |
| 9. | West Indies | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 19.04 |
