Sydney: Mitchell Starc has become the latest cricketer to raise concerns over mental wellbeing of players, saying that living in bio-secure bubble for a prolonged period is “not sustainable”.
Starc echoed comments made by international captains Virat Kohli, Eoin Morgan and Jason Holder in questioning how long players can cope with the mental strain of living in bubbles that forbid most interaction with the outside world.
Cricket all around the world is currently being organised in bio-bubbles due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the situation is unlikely to change anytime soon.
The cricketers taking part in the IPL have been in a bubble in UAE since August while many will have to enter another bio-secure arrangement when they represent their respective national teams in the upcoming events.
The Indian team will leave for its long tour Down Under after the IPL final on Tuesday, along with few Australian cricketers such as Steve Smith, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and David Warner, who were part of various IPL franchises.
‘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 was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
Apart from India and Australia, England players will be touring South-Africa for the white-ball series in less than a fortnight after the IPL, while West Indies players have to depart for New Zealand for another assignment.
‘It’s tough going… we get to play cricket, (so) we can’t complain too much… but in terms of wellbeing of players, staff and officials, how long can you stay in hubs for?,” Starc questioned.
‘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,’ he added.
India captain Kohli, one of the game’s most well-travelled players, had expressed his own reservations last week.
“These things will have to be considered … 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 getting to do anything different,” Kohli said.
“At the end of the day, you want the players to be in the best state mentally and physically. Mentally it can be taxing if this continues for this long a period,” he added.
England and West Indies skippers Eoin Morgan and Jason Holder, had made similar comments following West Indies’ tour of England earlier this year, the first major international series played since the pandemic began.
