Most of those who feast on cricket were left craving for more after the lip-smacking contest between Australia and India concluded a couple of days ago. “Why can’t we have five Tests instead of four?” — cricket aficionados cried. But one wonders what the Indian cricketers would have to say, in private if not in public, if they were asked to stay back in Australia for a few more days.
While we cheered on cricket as it broke the shackles of the pandemic, keeping us entertained in more ways than one during these testing times, not many did think of the players whose lives were restricted within perimeters of bio-secure bubbles. It is easy to pass it off as the “new normal”, but, as per accounts from multiple players, it’s far more complicated than that.
How difficult is life in a bio-bubble? The England-West Indies Test series last year was the first that was played in a bio-secure environment. After spending 51 days in quarantines and strict bio-bubbles, this is what West Indies captain Jason Holder had to say: “Mentally, some of the guys are a bit worn out… the same people, the same place, the same rooms.”
Virat Kohli, during IPL 2020, echoed Holder when he described life in such a restricted space as “repetitive”.
More recently, Ajinkya Rahane, who captained India in three of the four Tests in Australia, while speaking of life in a quarantine, said: “Outside life in Sydney is completely normal. But us players are in quarantine, which is a challenge.”
For the last seven-odd months, international cricket has existed in bio-bubbles only. For the players, often it’s a case of jumping from one bio-bubble to another as packed schedules refuse them breathing space.
But despite the challenges, for some cricketers, what matters above everything else is having the opportunity to get back to playing the game. “I have a job at least and I’m really thankful for that,” West Indies limited-overs batsman Nicholas Pooran, currently preparing for the Abu Dhabi T10, told The Telegraph during an interaction facilitated by Sony.
Speaking of the challenges a bio-bubble brings with it, Pooran said: “In the IPL, it wasn’t as bad as we thought it could’ve been. In Dubai, it was much easier. A lot of teams, including ours (Kings XI Punjab), had their private pools and beaches with proper games rooms. More importantly, we could focus more on the matches and on ourselves as there weren’t many distractions.
“In New Zealand, the quarantine process was a bit challenging though. Again, in Australia (during Big Bash League), we could roam the streets that were Covid-free. So the experience changes from place to place.”
Regardless of the hardships and monotony of life in the bio-bubble, it helps a player to focus more on himself, Pooran emphasised. “Sometimes we are not as professional as we should be, but the bubble makes you a complete professional.
“It helps you to monitor what you have eaten and whether you’re regularly working out... The focus is only on ourselves to get even better.”
Sometimes, the quarantine period that precedes a bio-bubble is even more challenging. Bengal bowling coach Ranadeb Bose, referring to the time just before this season’s Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy got underway, recounted: “Luckily, the second (India-Australia) Test was on during that period and I could watch it till the end. Then after a nap in the afternoon, it was mostly about logging on to Netflix and Amazon Prime alongside doing video calls with wife and kid.”
Reading is another habit that can help the mind deal with fatigue better, Bengal wicketkeeper-batsman Sreevats Goswami pointed out. “I read a lot, and it did help me when I was in the bubble.
“Reading also changes your perspective towards certain things and determines how you react to them,” said Sreevats, who played for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL.
