England all-rounder Ben Stokes has said that the biosecure bubbles are meant for the cricketers’ safety but it would be "very frustrating to not be able to participate in The Hundred '' if the players had to enter the bio-bubble before the schedule for the Test series against India.
"All these things are in place to make sure we're as safe as possible. I have no doubt things have had to go back to the drawing board. But everything is in place to ensure the safety of players and backroom staff," Stokes was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo."It would be very frustrating to not be able to participate in the Hundred," Stokes added.
The left-handed batsman further went on to suggest that franchise cricket does depend on big players.
"It's a massive event for England and we want to be part of it. We know how big a role players have in making a franchise competition big and if the Test players were unable to play in it because of Covid that would be pretty devastating,” he said.
Stokes was named the captain of the England team for the bilateral tie against Pakistan after the selectors were forced to announce a new squad following a Covid-19 outbreak within the team.
Seven members of the side had tested positive for the virus while the others were isolated immediately considering that they were in close proximity.
England presently lead the three-match ODI series 2-0 with the final encounter to take place on Tuesday (July 13, 2021) in Birmingham.
The Hundred is slated to begin on July 22 where Oval Invincibles and Manchester Originals lock horns with each other in the opener at the Oval.