England have paused any interactions with supporters in Sri Lanka but shown their hand in terms of selection after Joe Root endorsed an unchanged batting lineup for the first Test in Galle next week. The tourists, who are declining requests for selfies and autographs because of the coronavirus, begin a four-day warm‑up game against the Board President’s XI on Thursday without Keaton Jennings and Ben Foakes. Are cricket ticket prices good value for money? Read more The pair were success stories during the 3-0 series win in Sri Lanka 18 months ago but are now expected to remain on the sidelines come the first Test on 19 March, with Root telling his incumbent batsmen to show they can thrive in all conditions. It means the top three of Dom Sibley, Zak Crawley and Joe Denly who played in South Africa get the nod for the start of this two-match series – as well as Jos Buttler over Foakes behind the stumps – so the only horses-for-courses picks will be with the ball. Advertisement Root, the England captain, said: “We’ve got a responsibility to do everything we can to try to win this series but also have a long-term look at this team. How does it look across all conditions and everywhere we go in the world? It’s never going to be perfect but as much as possible you want guys to get experience. “We have got a big tour of India [next winter] and could face a lot of spin out there as well, so moving forward as a team you want continuity and consistency. You just never know what the surface is going to be like until you get there but I imagine it won’t be quite as drastic [for spin] and fast‑forward as it was last time. We need to be smart about it, not too rigid.” Jack Leach returns alongside his Somerset teammate Dom Bess to form a spin pairing for England’s final tour game, while the leg‑spinner Matt Parkinson misses out and Stuart Broad is rested. The latter’s expected return to take the new ball next week means another selection shootout between the all-rounders Chris Woakes and Sam Curran, with Saqib Mahmood’s ability to get reverse swing seemingly not required. England played three spinners last time but Parkinson’s best chance of a debut rests on the fitness of Leach, who needs to prove a recent calf issue has eased after illness wrecked his tours of New Zealand and South Africa. The Spin: sign up and get our weekly cricket email. Root said: “This game will tell us a lot about where he [Leach] is actually at. The medical staff and himself have all been quite involved in making sure that he peaks for that first Test. When you’re coming back from injury there’s always an element of risk.” The team management’s orders to avoid contact with travelling supporters is unfortunate for a group of players who often mingle with tour groups away from home. But while deemed necessary in the current climate, there is no suggestion the series is at risk of cancellation as things stand. Surrey and Worcestershire announced on Wednesday that their pre‑season trips to the United Arab Emirates have been called off. On Monday Lancashire cancelled planned pre‑season trips to Dubai and South Africa, while a four‑day meeting of the International Cricket Council scheduled for late March has also been scrapped.