Rajasthan Royals captain Steven Smith has completely ruled himself of Big Bash League (BBL) this year. Smith who was expected to turn out for Sydney Sixers for few matches, has categorically ruled himself out of BBL 2020 over growing concerns of players’ burnout inside prolonged bio-secure bubbles. Unlike the 2019-20 season, where Smith joined the SIxers to take them to victory, the former Australian captain In an interview with News Corp as part of a promotional campaign with Lifebouy for the Rajasthan Royals, Smith from his Dubai bubble clearly said he will not play in BBL this year. The IPL in the UAE is Smith’s second back-to-back bubble experience, flying straight from England during Australia’s limited-overs series. Given that the home series against India starts on November 27, barely 14 days after reaching Australia, which includes a strict quarantining period as well, it is going to be a massive task for the players.
"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. 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. "Unlike the 2019-20 season, where Smith joined the SIxers to take them to victory, they're going to have to defend their title without his services. He's ruled himself out, categorically. "I'll be honest with you - absolutely no chance." Smith’s IPL team Royals is slated to play KXIP today in a crunch match which is likely to decided whether RR make it to playoffs or not. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) AB de Villiers has pulled out of the upcoming season of Big Bash League (BBL) as the player and his wife are expecting the birth of their third child.
