Justin Langer warns of threats ahead for summer of cricket

Justin Langer has warned that biosecurity bubbles will strain cricketers and competitions this summer.

Australia men’s coach Justin Langer: ‘We’ve got to make sacrifices to make sure people get to see the Australian cricket team play again.’ Picture: Getty Images

Justin Langer believes the strain of biosecurity bubble life could see Australian players skip international games this summer and the domestic calendar placed under pressure.

It has become increasingly apparent the 2020-21 summer will be like no other.

One plan under serious consideration would see a large group of white ball players isolated for an ODI and T20 series against India at the start of the season while another red ball group would be isolated to prepare for Test cricket via Australia A matches. Under that proposal the first Test against India would not be played until December 17.

That move would strain the resources for the BBL, which is due to begin December 3, as a significant number of elite players would be in one of the two international bubbles.

Latest plans also include playing all the WBBL in one state, possibly NSW and the men’s across two states, but no decisions have been made.

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The men’s team is taking a squad of 21 to the UK on Sunday for three T20s and three ODIs.

There has been a concerted push by broadcasters to get the best players available for the BBL but under the two bubble plan for international cricket the talent pool would be diminished further.

Cricket Australia has committed to a full Sheffield Shield season but that too would presumably mean placing available players in long-term biosecurity bubbles in friendly states.

Langer said it was “crucial” international matches and the Big Bash in men’s and women’s cricket continue “for the health of the game”. The coach said there could be compromises.

“If we’ve got to have bigger squads because we can’t have guys coming in and out, 12th and 13th men playing Shield cricket which is unlikely to happen, there’s a compromise, that will take some of our best players out of our domestic competition,” the coach said. “If we play the full domestic schedule, we might have to compromise on that — the costs to the game, we can’t let that blow out because that’s important for the health of the game.

“We might not be able to see our families because we need to keep the show on the road. Some of our best players might have to miss some international cricket so they can spend some time seeing families. Those are some of the compromises we might be looking at, we are aware and work through it as they come up.

The strain on players of being separated from families was signalled by David Warner earlier in August and a number of football players have had to leave biosecurity bubbles for family reasons. Ben Stokes pulled out of the England season before the second Test against Pakistan to be with his sick father in New Zealand and is not expected to return.

Langer and squad will fly by charter plane to the UK and spend the entire trip in a bubble and will enter quarantine again on return.

“It‘s certainly going to be very different,” he said.

“We’ve got to make some sacrifices for the greater good of the game of cricket in Australia but also the game worldwide. We’ve got to make sacrifices to make sure people get to see the Australian cricket team play again.

“We‘ll keep an eye on how the boys are travelling with the England tour then the quarantine, the IPL, the quarantine then the summer kicking off. It’s certainly something we’re aware of. We’ll make sure we manage it throughout. The guys are going to already spend a lot of time away from home but we’re going to make sure we manage it really well.”