Nothing is confirmed yet, but the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is considering the option of letting England players go back home from the team camp they've been in for the last one month, allowing players to visit their families in the short break between the end of the ongoing West Indies Test series to the start of the one against Pakistan on August 5. 

The players have had to be in the bio-secure bubble, where they've been regularly tested in wake of the health threat posed by the Coronavirus. 

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James Anderson, the team's most experienced fast bowler, said he would welcome the opportunity to see his family and be re-tested before joining the squad again to face Pakistan. 

"I've heard whispers of it. Nothing confirmed," said Anderson from the Sky Sports player zone during the fourth day of the second Test against West Indies in Manchester, from which he has been rested. 

"Obviously it'd be nice if we can get home for a few days in between the series but, yeah, at the moment we've not had anything confirmed so we'll just keep our fingers crossed on that one," he added. 

Such a break would first of all be subject to approval from the UK government and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and most probably be limited to a maximum of three nights. 

According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, "it is understood that Pakistan would not object to the England players being allowed to return home for a few days before their series and would not seek a release for their own squad to emerge from their training bubble."

"Several members of Pakistan's touring squad tested positive for Covid-19 before leaving their home country, which has been hit hard by the pandemic. All served an isolation period and returned negative tests before travelling to the UK."

However, considering the times, Anderson said it would be understandable if the authorities decide against the break. 

"Yeah, it's been different, but it's not... I can't say it's been hard because we're in a hotel, you know, we've got nice surroundings," he said. 

"We're looked after well. And yes, we've had to do things slightly differently, but we're getting to play cricket which is, you know, amazing really after the last few months. So we're just grateful for that."

"If we can get home for a few days in between games then brilliant. If not, we'll just have to knuckle down and realise it'll be another three or four weeks through that Pakistan series before we can get home properly," Anderson concluded. 

The last Test against West Indies in Manchester is slated to end on July 28, with the three-Test Pakistan series kickstarting over a week later at the same venue. The visitors, who will also play three T20Is in early September, have already been there in the UK for a while, going through quarantine and preparation period. 

In between the two Test series, England will play a short three-match ODI series against Ireland in Southampton, for which the selectors have rested quite a few of the Test cricketers and picked a specialist white-ball squad led by Eoin Morgan. 

(Inputs from ESPNcricinfo)