Ashes 2021 | Wouldn’t be comfortable playing the Ashes without seeing my family, insists Jos Buttler
England vice-captain Jos Buttler has insisted that he won’t be participating in the Ashes 2021 in Australia if his family isn't allowed to join him for the series. The five-match Test series is doubtful due to players expressing their restraint against the COVID-19 restrictions in place Down Under.
Jos Buttler has joined the bandwagon of England players not wanting to fly to Australia for the Ashes series under strict bio-bubbles protocols. The players have been showing restraint against the severe COVID-19 restrictions in Australia, although they are waiting to get the final details on the rules which will supposedly be issued this week.
Buttler will fly out to the United Arab Emirates next week as a member of England's squad for the T20 World Cup 2021. The England vice-captain who became a father earlier this month, said he won’t be comfortable with not seeing his family for 4-5 months.Â
"Yes, definitely for myself. If I had to do a World Cup and an Ashes -- four, five months without seeing my family -- I wouldn't be comfortable doing that."
"We're still waiting for more information, as soon as possible," he said when speaking at Sixes Cricket Club, where he was unveiled as the official ambassador of Booking.com's sponsorship of the T20 World Cup.
"Hopefully in the next few days there'll be more information. As soon as you get that it makes it easier to know what decision you're making."
The 31-year-old who is yet to play in an overseas Ashes Test, added that the England and Wales Cricket Board and Cricket Australia will be working very hard together to make it as good as possible.
"It's tough to make a decision when you don't have all the answers. In Covid times, there is always going to be some sort of question that is difficult to answer.
"It could be changeable, it would be naive not to say so in the times we're living in, but you want to go there with as many assurances as possible,” The-31-year-old added
Meanwhile, ECB chairman Ian Watmore said he was prepared for more twists and turns ahead of the scheduled Ashes opener in Brisbane on December 8.
"There is no simple date it must be decided by, apart from when that plane goes to Australia," Watmore told the Daily Mail.
"There are issues for CA to sort out with their government and for the federal government to sort out with state governments.
"We're working hard to provide an environment in which our players and their families want to go and perform to their best. If Australia can deliver that, great, if not we may have to have more challenging discussions."