Bio-bubble can feel like a 5-star prison!

Experts say the necessity of secluding themselves in a bio-bubble before and during the upcoming cricket tour to England will add to the stress of players, officials and support staff

Virat Kohli’s boys heading to the UK for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand and the fivematch cricket Test series against England this summer will undergo a hard quarantine, spanning two weeks.

The Indian women’s squad, which is scheduled to play a one-off Test followed by three ODIs and three T20Is, will also be included in the plan. Both the Indian squads will be in a bio-bubble in Mumbai and are likely to fly out together on a chartered flight to London on June 2.

A bio-bubble in cricket is nothing but a safe and risk-free environment with imaginary boundaries, where all the concerned stakeholders — players, officials, administrators, broadcasters etc. — reside to avoid any physical interaction with the outside world.

Stress management expert, Anusheela Brahmachary, says, “The word ‘bubble’ has an implication of fragility attached to it. It may come across to the listener as/for ‘someone who is fragile or requires a very sensitive and protected environment’. When such a term is used in the context of a player, it may pose a threat to his/her self-belief as an efficient and resilient individual. Hence, this term ‘bubble’ can seem a bit detrimental to many players. It will be recommended that more neutral terms are coined, devoid of

It is important for the teams to use the services of mental health professionals to help players destress, focus on their performance and ensure their own safety and health underlying connotations,” she says.

Pointing out that in these trying times, the anxieties and insecurities are peaking for everyone, and that a lowered tolerance threshold may make the players more sensitive about trivial details, Anusheela says “It is important for the teams to use the services of mental health professionals to help players de-stress, focus on their performance and ensure their own safety and health.”

Sports psychologist Varadayini Chitale, who has worked with a lot of players in India, feels an extended stay in a bio bubble can be stressful. Explaining the reasons, she says, “The protocols themselves may get very stressful due to the commitment required to do the tests, follow social distancing and maintain a secure bubble. This means no interaction with the outside world and no socialising. Players are used to seeing the cities they travel to. Plus, bringing families was normal. But all this falls outside the biobubble.”

She points out that “This is added pressure, to the already existing performance pressure to be on top of the game and catch the eyes of selectors.” Varadayini adds that the “Fear of contracting the virus always remains. As seen in the IPL, in spite of having a bio bubble, players and some officials contracted the virus.”

Nevertheless, getting rid of bio-bubble is difficult. Even if players are fully vaccinated the nature of the virus and the vaccination process will be evolving in the coming years. So how can we better the process in a team? Varadayini feels that while “Bio-bubble rules need to be maintained, having an equal social life inside the bio-bubble will help the players.” Calling it a ‘Team Environment’ as suggested by the ECB, could foster a better mindset among the players, she notes. “Having social protocols like calling members of the family or friends outside the bubble, and making it mandatory to do so, can help,” Varadayini adds. The psychologist also recommends compulsory mental training protocols like teambased meditation and visualisation and also having a sports and clinical psychologist inside the bubble.

— ANUSHEELA BRAHMACHARY,

stress management expert

Bio-bubble rules need to be maintained..., having an equal social life inside the bio-bubble will help the players. Having social protocols like calling members of the family or friends outside the bubble, and making it mandatory to do so, can help.

— VARADAYINI CHITALE,

sports psychologist