Sri Lanka delayed the Lanka Premier League cricket tournament on Friday for a third time and cut the number of venues to one from three as coronavirus infections surge.

The start of the 23-match league, which will feature Chris Gayle, Faf du Plessis, Shahid Afridi and Carlos Brathwaite, was put back six days to November 27, the cricket board said.

A statement said all the games will now be behind closed doors in the southern town of Hambantota with the final on December 17.

The league was originally scheduled for August but was moved to November 14 and then November 21 because of the pandemic. 

Sri Lankan officials said health authorities have agreed to a shorter seven-day quarantine for players, but insist on 14 days of isolation for support staff.

Bangladesh called off a Sri Lanka tour last month because of the quarantine restrictions.