A CRICKET fan who travelled to Sri Lanka in March to watch England’s tour is still there eight months after it was cancelled – and has vowed to remain until Joe Root’s team returns.

Rob Lewis, a web designer from Sunbury-on-Thames, has enjoyed his unplanned stay, adopting a stray dog while living in a beach hostel, becoming a DJ complete with his own alter ego, getting a tattoo and even befriending members of the Sri Lanka cricket team’s coaching staff.

The 37-year-old is hoping England will return in January so he can finally see the cricket he travelled out for. He has even offered his services to Sri Lanka coach Mickey Arthur as a waterboy in the hope he will be able to get into the ground whatever the restrictions on fans may be.

“I’m hoping on January for the cricket,” he said. “And if they don’t come then it’s been a long wait for nothing.”

Mr Lewis was on the plane to Sri Lanka when the announcement was made on March 13 that England’s matches had been cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

But rather than head back to England, he decided to remain in the country.

He now disc jockeys under the name DJ Randy Caddick — a nod to a former England bowler.

He says Sri Lanka head coach Arthur was taken with his story.

“He was like, ‘you’ve been here for five months?’, and I was like, ‘yeah, I’m waiting for England to come back,” Mr Lewis said.

“He just laughed at my idiocy.”