England skipper Eoin Morgan and West Indies' Jason Holder believe it is "untenable" to expect players to continue to spend extended periods in bio-secure bubble amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Both Morgan and Holder are currently in the UAE, taking part in the 2020 IPL edition. While Morgan is leading Kolkata Knight Riders, Holder is playing for SunRisers Hyderabad.
England played West Indies in a bio-secure environment back home. They then hosted Pakistan and Australia and now some of their players are playing for different IPL franchises in the United Arab Emirates.
"We managed to fulfill all of our international fixtures for the summer. That was an unbelievable achievement for the teams that came across and the commitment of the ECB showed. The level of dedication from staff involved was extraordinary. We're extremely fortunate enough to be back playing," ESPNcricinfo quoted Morgan as saying during the Chance to Shine event aimed at raising funds for the charity's Street program.
“But to keep that level of bubble for a 12-month period, or 10 of the 12 months that we normally travel, I think is untenable. I don’t think it’s possible. I actually think it’s probably one of the more challenging times for anybody involved in the cricket industry,” he added.
The World Cup-winning England captain further stated that as a team, they have accepted that players would come in and out of the bubble as and when they feel it's affecting their mental health.
"Their health is a priority. So I do think we'll see more players pull out of tours. That's just the reality of things. And I don't think people should look down upon it: they shouldn't feel like they're not doing their job or not committing to their country," said Morgan.
"You can drill a player both mentally and physically. And it can cause extreme burnout, which nobody wants to see," he added.
Holder, on his part, has had his share of experience of a bio-secure bubble, having led the Test team in England. He then went back to his home for "two days" before going to Trinidad for a month-and-a-half to take part in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
“It’s been demanding. It has been challenging. I’m blessed to be still working. There are lots of people in the world not working because of Covid and we’re still given the opportunity to entertain people and do something we really love,” Holder said while agreeing with Morgan.
"But something needs to be thought of in order to just try to free up things a little bit more for the players' mental health," he added.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)