IPL 2021: Concerns Australian cricketers trapped in COVID-ravaged India could suffer bubble fatigue

Australian players stuck in COVID-ravaged India could face a bad case of “bubble fatigue” when they finally escape the subcontinent.

Spinner Adam Zampa was one of the last Australian players to make it out of India.

Australian players stuck in COVID-ravaged India could face a bad case of “bubble fatigue” when they finally escape the subcontinent and then have to almost immediately fly out to the West Indies and Bangladesh to prepare for October’s T20 World Cup.

The biggest stars of the Australian ODI and T20 sides will not be able to leave India until the start of June when the IPL ends.

Players such as Steve Smith, David Warner, Pat Cummins and Glenn Maxwell will then have to complete two weeks in quarantine.

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At best, they will have little over a week at home before flying out again and will have little opportunity to return home until mid-September.

Bubble fatigue has become an issue for all cricketers and for players such as Warner, who have children, the situation is more complicated.

In pre-pandemic times, the opener rarely travelled without his family.

The ICC cancelled last year’s T20 World Cup in Australia because of the pandemic and face the prospect of doing the same with the event planned for India this year unless the COVID situation improves dramatically.

With no flights between Australia and India, players, coaches and officials have no choice but to stay until the end of the IPL.

The players also know it would be badly received if they returned home and announced they were too worn down by life in a bisecure bubble to play for their country.

Adam Zampa, Andrew Tye and Kane Richardson all managed to escape from India before the route through Doha was closed.

Richardson and Zampa landed back in Australia on Thursday.

There were reports in the Indian media that player turned umpire Paul Reiffel had also left, but when The Australian rang the former bowler he was still in India.

“There was a little window still open through Doha where I might get home and there was a flight booked, but then it got cancelled, the window was closed,” he said from Ahmedabad.

“It’s fine, I tried to take the opportunity but it was not to be, we’ll move on and deal with it at the end of the tournament and I am sure things will work out.”

New Zealand star Kane Williamson and Aussie ace David Warner wearing hazmat suits while aboard flights in India. Picture: Instagram

Reiffel said he was not concerned for his own health.

“I feel very safe, it’s a very tight bubble and I don’t have a problem in the world,” he said.

Indian umpire Nitin Menon is reported to have left the IPL to be with his wife and mother, who have the virus.

Indian spinner Ravi Ashwin left the Delhi franchise to be with his family and MS Dhoni’s parents were hospitalised with the virus.

The concerns for the players who remain centre on the mental strain of being home for such a short period before having to leave and enter a biosecurity bubble in the West Indies and Bangladesh.

Australian coach Justin Langer said the players were aware they would be criticised if they pulled out of an Australian tour.

“We’re monitoring it almost daily. There’s no doubt about that. As it stands now, the guys will come back about 26 days before we’re supposed to leave for the West Indies tour, so we’ll be watching it closely,” Langer said on Fox Cricket.

“And I think there’s no doubt the players will be watching it more closely with the time they’ve already spent away from their families in the past 12 months or so, and knowing what’s coming up.”

The tour of West Indies and Bangladesh has not been confirmed, but has been pencilled into the players’ diaries.

AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell batting together for RCB in the IPL.

The tour rules out participation in The Hundred for Warner and Maxwell with that tournament due to run from July 21 to August 21.

Brett Lee, who is commentating on the IPL and recently donated a large amount to a COVID charity, defended his decision to stay in India on the Afternoon Sport podcast.

“On one hand it is horrible what’s going on, on the other hand I think cricketers are trying to put some smiles back on the faces of those local Indian people,” Lee said.

“It’s all about entertainment and providing some smiles on the faces for the people going through the horrible situation. Stay at home, watch some cricket on the TV if you’ve got that opportunity and have some fun doing it.”

Originally published as IPL 2021: Concerns Australian cricketers trapped in COVID-ravaged India could suffer bubble fatigue