England wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler on Saturday (January 30) said they are “very fortunate” to be able to play cricket and do “what they love” amidst the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic but staying in a bio-bubble for a long time is really challenging for the players.
At the moment, England is in India to play four Tests, three ODIs, and five T20Is from February 5 to March 28, and Buttler was allowed to return home after the first Test to be held in Chennai as part of England’s rotation policy for the players to keep players fresh in the COVID-19 era.
However, the wicketkeeper-batsman is expected to return and rejoin the England squad for the white-ball series in India. About the bio-bubble life, Buttler said it is not possible for the cricketers to play every match in this current scenario as staying in a bio-bubble for a longer period is challenging and it eventually takes its toll on the mental health of the players.
Buttler said during a virtual press conference on Saturday: “It is certainly a challenge, it is hard to say that the situation is quite difficult as there are some people in the world who are in a tough situation at the moment looking at the pandemic and lockdown, we are very fortunate to play cricket and do what we love, but having said that, it is quite challenging to spend time away from our families, having your family locked up in hotels can be quite difficult.”
On England’s rotation system, the cricketer noted: “ECB has been forward-thinking to rotate the players in and out of this series, at times there is frustration because you want to see the best players on show all the time, but it is just not possible looking at the time spent in the bubble. Looking at the short term goals is important; there is no certainty if you look too far ahead.”
On England’s batting order with Jonny Bairstow resting for the first two Tests, Buttler said: “Obviously, there are some different faces with us this time around, some young guys who are at the start of their careers and for some, this is their first tour in Asia.
Dom Sibley, Zack Crawley, and Rory Burns are some guys who can occupy the crease for a long time. Spending time in India helps you understand the magnitude of the game here, it is a huge challenge for us to play against India in India.”
He signed off by saying, “It is about adapting to the conditions and playing accordingly, when the ball swings in England, a good first innings score can be 300. When you play in India, if we play on a fantastic wicket, the good score would be 600, understanding and realization of scoring big runs is the key. Root was a fantastic example of us as he scored 200 and 180+ in Sri Lanka.”
(With ANI Inputs)
