Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen in action during the Pro-Am event ahead of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Golf Club. (file photo)
Former England captain Kevin Pietersen on Tuesday called for an end to strict bio-bubbles for players and support staff in international cricket, saying the set-up to contain COVID-19 is “one of the best in the world”. Wasting good work”.
Pietersen’s suggestion is revolutionary in comparison to the balanced approach to workload management advocated by India’s Test captains Virat Kohli And former head coach Ravi Shastri has also warned that bubble fatigue among players will damage the game.
“The strict bio-bubble needs to end for players and coaching staff for good ASAP!” Pietersen tweeted.
“They’re ruining what is now the best job in the world. Players and staff are done with them!”
Ahead of the ongoing Ashes in Australia, there were reports that top English players may boycott the high-profile five-match series as they do not want to be confined to their hotel rooms for nearly four months due to strict quarantine rules. ,
However, the matter was resolved after talks between the players’ representatives, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Cricket Australia and the Australian government.
England fielded all the top players, although they have already lost Ashes After a humiliating defeat in the first three matches.
Kohli has been the most vocal in expressing concern about the challenges faced by players during his long time inside the bio bubble.
He has advocated for balanced workload management of the players so that they do not get physically and mentally exhausted.
“I understand we have lost some time without cricket (during the pandemic), but in trying to cover that, world cricket will not be better if you lose players.
So there has to be a balance in the future,” he said just ahead of the T20 World Cup last year.
Shastri, who quit as India’s head coach after the T20 World Cup, had said that “sooner or later the bubble will burst, so you have to be careful.”
“There are a lot of players in this team who are players from all formats. In the last 24 months, they have been at home for 25 days.
Even if your name is Bradman and you are in a bubble, your average will come down because you are human,” Shastri had said.
“It’s not like you put petrol behind and expect the man to move on.”
On the other hand, the emergence of the Omicron variant has led to the rapid rise in the cases of COVID-19 across the world, making it a difficult situation for the cricket administrators.
They have to keep players safe without limiting them to bio-bubbles with strict protocols.
They also have to follow various state and central government protocols which differ from country to country.
For example, the ECB last year relaxed strict COVID-19 protocols for India’s Test tour of England, noting that the bio-bubble has taken a toll on the players mentally.
But members of the Indian contingent tested positive for the virus and due to this the fifth Test had to be postponed.
,