XtraTime Web Desk – Even with the vaccines out, the pandemic isn’t going anywhere. All the international athletes are cautious and will remain in bio-bubbles for time to come. That’s why Jos Buttler thinks that all the stars of every team wont be featuring in every series going forward because they will have to think about their mental well being.
“You want your strongest team out every time, but unfortunately, that doesn’t seem possible at the moment”, Buttler said in the press conference. When ECB management is facing the heat on the rotation policy, Buttler defended them. He further added, “It’s certainly a challenge but people around the world are going through tough situations. The pandemic has had people whose world has been turned upside down and we are very fortunate to play cricket and do our job that we love”.
“Having said that you do find it challenging having to stay away from your families, being in quarantine and locked up in hotels. ECB has been forward thinking in rotating players for this series. At times, it’s frustrating as you want to have best players on the show all the time but it’s not possible with the amount of time that one spends in a bio bubble. You can’t expect people to keep doing that”, Buttler added.
With that, Buttler also kept his eye on the coming T20 World Cup in India. He said, “We had a very settled team during ODI World Cup as guys played for a long period of time, and I think that was a huge plus for us going into the tournament”. He added, “T20 side, we haven’t had that time to play together as a group and familiarity with roles, so to play against a brilliant side like India gives us the perfect preparation for that tournament”.
Buttler also acknowledged IPL and said it gives an extra edge. “I think the thing what IPL does give you is familiarity of the wickets, and the guy having played against majority of the guys, sort of understanding of their action and how they try and bowl. If you haven’t faced guys before and somebody like a Bumrah, who has a bit of unique action it can be bit of problem. It takes some (time) getting used to it.
He added, “Certainly for the boys who have played international cricket before against India and played against (them) in the IPL, certainly know the angles and what to expect a little bit.”