Mental health, family focus lessons learned from bubbles

In addition to inflicting world champion England's first ODI series loss on home soil in five years, Australia's white-ball campaign has provided the men's team a foretaste of looming life within bio-security 'bubbles'.

Aaron Finch's victorious 21-man squad departs Manchester tomorrow with 13 players headed for the Indian Premier League tournament in the UAE and the remainder bound for Adelaide where they will undertake a fortnight's strict quarantine while preparing for the home summer.

From the time the group convened in Perth prior to boarding their charter flight to the UK last month, they have spent almost 30 nights in a stringent team 'bubble'.

By the end of the Australia summer, depending on playing commitments in the IPL as well as national and state teams, Cricket Australia has forecast some players are likely to have experienced more than 150 days in the controlled environments required by COVID19 protocols.

The most arduous element of that isolation will be the two-week quarantine players must serve when crossing borders, as the group arriving in Adelaide later this week – which includes men's team coach Justin Langer – are about to experience.

They will be subject to rigorous isolation and repeated testing at the new Adelaide Oval hotel, with their only outings beyond the hotel's walls being training sessions at the adjacent ground's facilities in groups of four, all held within a tightly monitored schedule.

Image Id: 2D55F78124CF4572BA542C49968EB227 Image Caption: Face masks are part and parcel of the new normal // Getty

Visits to the SA Cricket Association's gymnasium are also permitted, in similarly small groups with equally rigorous vigilance.

Those players involved in the IPL, including Australia limited-overs captain Aaron Finch and Test stars Steve Smith, David Warner and Pat Cummins, will serve their fortnight's quarantine when they return to Australia at tournament's end (early November).

Once the quarantine term has been served and coronavirus testing protocols completed, players can then enter the bio-security 'bubbles' which offers slightly more freedom of movement and will be designed to allow players and staff interaction with family members.

Image Id: 32B66B8A8AE845418E99DAFA42B8ECAF Image Caption: The Australian squad at Perth Airport en route to the UK // Supplied

Having studied the bio-security arrangements put in place by England and Wales Cricket Board – which enabled them to host series against West Indies, Ireland, Pakistan and Australia without a positive coronavirus case recorded – CA understands family access for players and staff is critical.

That was reiterated by Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell who is among the group heading to the IPL, and who claimed he "really enjoyed" his time inside the 'bubble' during the UK tour while conceding it would likely prove more challenging the longer it endured.

"I know we've only been here for a month but I've been speaking to (England limited-overs captain) Eoin Morgan, talking about the importance of getting your families around at different stages," Maxwell said.

"They (England) have had different times to go back and see their families.

"I think that still has to be manipulated in the system, where you can still have family time whether they do a bit of time in quarantine to be able to see you.

"That's still going to be important for everyone's mental health to be around loved ones and still have a bit of normality in life."

Image Id: 00746DB392444A2FBFEBF8605DEB935C Image Caption: Hand sanitiser is now essential // Getty

Following Australia's remarkable two-wicket victory on Wednesday – built on Maxwell's record-breaking 212-run partnership with Alex Carey - that clinched the ODI series against England 2-1, Morgan reiterated the unique challenge of being separated from loved ones during a 'home' season.

"The biggest challenge for us is spending an extended period of time away from family," Morgan said prior to his departure for the IPL.

"That's greater at the moment because we accept we go away at winter (in the UK) - that's the nature of being an international cricketer.

"But when you do it at home too, with none of your family around, it poses a more challenging situation."

Image Id: F63DEEE48ECB45ABA2CA262E548CBC4A Image Caption: England players enter the 'inner zone' // Getty

With the Australia women's national team already serving quarantine in Brisbane for the upcoming Commonwealth Bank T20I and ODI series against New Zealand, mental health has been identified as an overriding focus for the summer ahead.

In addition to information gleaned from the England tour and other sports (including Australia's football codes now nearing the end of their seasons), CA is creating a new role to oversee the unique wellbeing issues arising from the ongoing global pandemic.

"The mental health and wellbeing of players and staff in bio-secure environments will be a top priority this summer and Cricket Australia is working closely with the Australian Cricketers' Association to ensure the best support possible is available," CA's Head of Sports Science and Sports Medicine Alex Kountouris said today.

"We are working on having psychologists and player development managers in each of the hubs so they are easily accessible to players and staff to provide on-the-ground support.

"There will also be wellbeing screenings, education sessions and, wherever possible, access for family members to help players and staff through the challenging periods.

"A lot of effort is going in to ensuring the environments themselves are as social and family-friendly as possible, while adhering to the bio-security conditions that are specific to each tournament.

"We have also been in discussions with other sports to learn as much as we can from their experiences, and will soon be announcing the appointment of a new Cricket Australia Mental Health Lead which we see as a crucial role for Australian cricket for this summer and beyond."

Image Id: D3B42FB9FD654D0B9ABEA865D33BF261 Image Caption: Steve Smith and Kane Richardson look on from the balcony in Manchester // Getty

Morgan echoed the praise that Langer had earlier afforded the ECB for their diligence in designing and maintaining successful bio-security protocols that allowed international cricket to resume last July.

He also added there were unique elements to England's atypical summer – with international matches staged at only two venues (Southampton and Manchester) that offer in-built hotel accommodation – that meant their blueprint might not be wholly applicable to other countries.

"I think we've pioneered or mapped out exactly how to get cricket back on," Morgan said.

"Given we've had no positive cases within the bubble, I think is a very good example and one every team around the world will look at.

"Whether they can model it exactly like that might be a bit more challenging, but I think the ECB has done an outstanding job."