Smith in early call to miss Big Bash

STEVE Smith has ruled out Big Bash League stint, as fears escalate that Australia’s headline stars could be burnt out before the summer starts.

Cricket Australia’s bumper schedule against India was met with excitement and relief this week, but the stark reality has set in that players from both teams may line-up at the starting blocks on the verge of being mentally cooked.

Smith, pictured, and Australian assistant coach Andrew McDonald questioned how long cricketers could continue operating in bubbles, and declared players must be able to have honest conversations about their mental health this summer.

It is almost inevitable a couple, if not all of Smith, David Warner, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood will have to be rested in next month’s ODI and T20 series.

It shapes as a delicate discussion point with Fox Sports, which pay tens of millions for the exclusive rights. Smith’s revelation that he will not make himself available for the business end of the BBL season also serves as another major body blow for the game and its broadcasters, particularly the agitated Channel 7.

“It’s still early days with the bubbles. We don’t know how long it’s going to last for. There’s an uncertainty there,” Smith said.

“It’s just going to be about having open conversations with coaches, general managers, whoever, to ensure that people are keeping their head space in a reasonable place.

“Then there’s obviously going to be questions around selection. If someone takes some time off because they’ve been in the bubble for a long time and then someone comes in and plays well, do they take their spot?

“When guys are starting to find things a bit tough mentally from just living in the bubble, being able to get out — even if it might just be a few days of being normal might be a real help.

“Those conversations need to be had.”

A highlight of last year’s BBL was Smith joining the Sydney Sixers for their road to glory.

But it will not happen this season.

“I’ll be honest with you — absolutely no chance,” said Smith, highlighting the strain on players who have been away in the UK and UAE in what has been dubbed “double bubble” since late August.

It is hard to imagine how white ball stars Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell for example could start an ODI and T20 series the day they exit quarantine on November 27, and then play a Big Bash tournament without a break.

Rajasthan Royals coach McDonald has learnt during the IPL that COVID-cricket is not only about winning.

“The big fear is the sustainability of it all, also the burnout factor,” he said.

“The mental demands on the players have just gone up in terms of what they’re dealing with.”