England's Jos Buttler unsure about his participation in the Ashes

International cricket is back to its fully functional mode, but the introduction of bio-bubbles, quarantine, regular testing and restriction of movement has taken a hit on the mental health and well-being of cricketers. There have been many instances when the players have pulled out of bilateral tours or the T20 leagues, owing to the COVID restrictions in place. English star Jos Buttler, who pulled out of the UAE leg of IPL 2021, with his wife expecting the couple's second child, may well skip this year's Ashes too. 

It is still not certain whether the English players will be allowed to travel to Australia with their families or not, as the ECB are in talks with Cricket Australia over the same. In a bid to control novel Coronavirus, Australia has closed its borders, and there are limited flights on offer with a 14-day mandatory managed isolation for returning citizens.

Jos Buttler stated that he's still contemplating whether to take part in this year's Ashes or not. He revealed that he and his family have already made a lot of sacrifices, and players have to be open to saying 'no' if needed.

"One of the challenges is working out where the line is where you say I can't do that. I've sacrificed a lot for cricket and my wife and family have sacrificed a lot. You have to be open to saying no. It would be incredibly disappointing if some players feel like they can’t do it, but we're in a world at the moment where that is a possibility," Buttler told The Times newspaper. 

He also added that Australia have strict rules in place to curb the spread of the deadly virus, and living in bubbles for long periods takes a toll on the players.

"COVID is incredibly challenging for everyone and Australia has a very strict policy in how they've tried to deal with it," Buttler said, adding that living for long periods in bio-bubbles was a further complication. Until we get more information about what it (the Australia tour) might look like, it's impossible to know what decision you're making."

The Ashes will commence on December 8 at the Gabba and would finish by January 18 if the fifth Test goes down to the final day of the series.