Last Updated on 4 years by Charbel Coorey
After playing a key role in the England-Australia ODI match, Jofra Archer might not be a part of the Big Bash League in Australia. The bio-secure bubble is affecting the mental stability of the players and Archer has spent around 87 days in the bubble.
Citing these reasons, the fast bowler is seriously considering skipping the BBL. The quarantine norms are quite a strict and he had a four-day rest between the Test series and just five days in between T20I series and a week’s isolation at Emirates Old Trafford.
“I love my Hobart [BBL] family but I think I need to spend some time with my real family as well. When the year turns, we’re going to be back in a bubble in the UAE and India or somewhere. Family time is really important especially when you’re in the bubble and you can’t see them physically. So any time I get I try to spend with them”, he said to ESPNCricinfo.
Archer had broken the bio-secure protocol when the team was traveling between the Ageas Bowl and Emirates Old Trafford, and he took a detour to his flat in Brighton.
“I’ll tell you, it has been mentally challenging,” Archer said. “We’ve been in here for 16 weeks or something like that. I think it is going to be more rare going home or being normal again. Here has become the new norm. We’ll just have to adjust again when we get some time off. The time I spend bowling with the white ball is a lot less than in Test cricket. You can’t run in the whole day. It is actually impossible to run in the whole day bowling at 90mph. If you can show me someone who does it then fair play. I’ve not seen any bowler who bowls 90mph do it for a whole day”. according to ESPNCricInfo reports.
This news puts further pressure on Cricket Australia, who are currently involved in full on negotiations with free-to-air broadcaster Channel 7 on the make up of the Aussie summer. The BBL’s perceived lack of quality and international stars by Channel 7 will gain further momentum if more players choose to avoid another bubble.
Jofra Archer will fly to UAE on Thrusday to join the IPL after the final ODI between England and Australia.
Written by Anjali Jha. Follow Anjali on Twitter today.
