SARS virus puts New Zealand's tour of Sri Lanka in doubt

The outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Asia has put question marks over New Zealand's forthcoming tour of Sri Lanka. New Zealand are scheduled to fly to Sri Lanka in less than a fortnight, but Simon Wilson, spokesman for New Zealand Cricket (NZC), indicated that a final decision was unlikely until much closer to the departure date.

"NZC is watching developments, talking to the various authorities, and assessing the entire picture in terms of security and safety, as it does with all overseas tours."

Stephen Fleming voiced his concern about the virus too. "If it progresses as expected we might have a problem getting there. When you take into account insurance complications and the already tight security measures ... it's definitely something to watch."

A primary worry for the cricketers is the transit through Singapore, where, according to official figures, 98 people have been infected by the virus and four have died. If the tour does go ahead, it is likely that the team will avoid Singapore and travel via Perth instead. So far, no case of SARS has been detected in Sri Lanka.