Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc is the latest cricketer to express his concern surrounding the bio-bubbles created for playing cricket series amid the Covid-19 pandemic, saying it is “not sustainable”.
“It’s not a sustainable lifestyle. You’re living in a hotel room with zero outside contact. Some guys haven’t seen families or their kids for a long time, for those guys in the IPL,” Starc, who is not part of the IPL 2020, was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
“It’s tough going – we get to play cricket, (so) we can’t complain too much – but in terms of the wellbeing of players, staff, and officials, how long can you stay in hubs for?” he added.
Australia and India are expected to be subject to tight regulations for the duration of the summer during which they would be playing three ODIs, three T20Is and four Test matches beginning November 27.
There will be at least a two-week mandatory quarantine for both India’s extended squad as well as the Australian players in Sydney returning from the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League in the United Arab Emirates.
“That question remains to be answered…For those guys who have been in the IPL and have to turn around and do another IPL at the end of next summer (in April and May 2021), they’re earning their money,” said the left-arm pacer who recently signed with Sydney Sixers for the upcoming Big Bash League.
Starc, however, stated that his national teammates in the IPL would not be “too unhappy coming home with bags of cash”.
Recently, India skipper Virat Kohli said that the length of the series amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic should be given serious thought as staying in a bio-bubble for long periods does affect the mental health of the players.
“It’s repetitive, it’s not as tough when the group of guys is amazing, which we have. Everyone part of that bio-bubble is really nice and the vibe has been so good. That’s precisely why we’ve enjoyed playing together, just enjoyed our time in the bubble as well, but it does get difficult at times because it is repetitive,” Kohli said while speaking to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) TV.
“These things will have to be considered. Like what length of the tournament or series one is going to play and what impact it will have on players mentally to stay in a similar environment for 80 days and not do anything different. Or have space to just go and see family or small things like that. These things have to be thought about seriously,” he added.
Before that, West Indies’ Jason Holder and Eoin Morgan of England had earlier expressed similar concerns.
