England players can’t stay in bubble too long over mental health concerns
England players will be monitored by the ECB with their time in the bio-secure bubbles limited to avoid strain on their mental health, director of cricket Ashley Giles has said.
England played against the West Indies, Ireland, Pakistan and Australia after cricket returned in July amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Teams were restricted to bio-secure environments in both Manchester and Southampton.
A similar scenario faces Eoin Morgan's limited overs side when they visit South Africa for six matches in November and December, with Giles aware of the risks posed by extended time cut off from the outside world.
"These are extreme circumstances for everyone -- it is not normal spending a long period of time in a bio-secure environment," Giles told Sky Sports.
"We are working on strategies to get people in and out of bubbles easier, whether that be players or management, and that will need the cooperation of opposition teams."
Morgan is currently playing in the Indian Premier League's bubble in the United Arab Emirates.
The England skipper admits players could withdraw if worried about their mental health.
And Giles concedes there could be an element of rotation moving forward to avoid unnecessary strain on players.
"We are very aware we have a huge amount of cricket coming up and we can't keep the same people in those bubbles the whole time," added Giles.
England will take on South Africa in the first of three T20 internationals on 27 November at Newlands with the last of three ODIs coming on 9 December also at the iconic Cape Town ground.
