England wicket-keeper batsman Jos Buttler might end up miss the upcoming Ashes tour scheduled at the end of this year due to concerns about being apart from his family due to Australia's COVID-19 restrictions.

Buttler who had also pulled out of the second-leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) in UAE might also miss the end of the ongoing Test series against India as his wife is expecting their second child.

“One of the challenges is working out where the line is where you say I can't do that. I've sacrificed a lot for cricket and my wife and family have sacrificed a lot,” Buttler told The Times newspaper.

“You have to be open to saying no. It would be incredibly disappointing if some players feel like they can’t do it, but we're in a world at the moment where that is a possibility,” the right-hand explosive batsman added.

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While Australia has closed their borders to control the spread of COVID-19 with limited flights and 14-day mandatory managed isolation for returning citizens, both the boards of the participating countries are currently in talks to work out a secure passage.

The Englishman then further explained the mental and physical toll living in a bio-bubble takes on a cricketer.

“COVID is incredibly challenging for everyone and Australia has a very strict policy in how they've tried to deal with it. Until we get more information about what it (the Australia tour) might look like, it's impossible to know what decision you're making,” the 30-year-old signed off.

England will play the Twenty20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates in October and November before heading to Australia, likely keeping players who feature in both away from home for four months.

(With The Times Inputs)