Top Aussie Players May Pull Out of WI Tour Citing Bubble Fatigue

Players are mulling withdrawal after having spent lengthy periods in various bio-bubbles over the past few months.

Glenn Maxwell during a net session. 

Image: PTI

Seven top Australian players -- Pat Cummins, David Warner, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Kane Richardson and Jhye Richardson -- could withdraw from the national team's white-ball series in the West Indies next month, according to media reports.

The development comes a day after Cricket Australia announced six additions to their 23-member preliminary squad for the limited-overs cricket tours of West Indies and Bangladesh in July and August.

A report in Nine Media on Wednesday said that the seven star players could pull out after having spent considerable periods in various cricketing bubbles over the past few months.

All-rounder Daniel Sams, who contracted COVID-19 in India ahead of the Indian Premier League, had already made himself unavailable for selection due to mental health.

The Aussies, who are mulling pullout, were part of the IPL 2021 which was suspended and is likely to resume in mid-September in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The players had reached home after having spent 14 days quarantining in the Maldives and about a week in Sydney on arrival from India. The Australia team leaves for the Caribbean on 28 June, giving players less than a month to unwind after arrival from India and serving quarantines from which they were finally released on 31 May.

The all-format players like Cummins, Smith and Warner have been living in biosecure environments from late August ahead of the IPL 2020 in UAE. The IPL 2020 bio-bubble was followed by one during the home series against India. After some rest, they were back on the road in IPL.

Now, after the trip to West Indies, the Aussies tour Bangladesh and follow it up with a possible outing at the remainder of IPL 2021 and the T20 World Cup, although Cummins has already told Kolkata Knight Riders teammate Dinesh Karthik that he won't participate in the UAE leg of the IPL.