'In the last 24 months, they've been home for 25 days. I don't care who you are, if your name is Bradman, if you're in a bubble as well, your average will come down because you're human.'
The rigours of living in a bio-secure environment for months will take a toll even "if your name is (Don) Bradman", feels outgoing India head coach Ravi Shastri, who reckons that sooner or later the "bubble will burst".
Shastri, whose tenure with the Indian team ended after the final World Cup game against Namibia on Monday, said the players needed a longer break between the IPL and World Cup.
"One thing I would say -- this is not an excuse, but this is a fact. When you're six months in a bubble, this team, there are a lot of players on this team who play all three formats of the game," said Shastri in the media interaction after the Namibia game.
"In the last 24 months, they've been home for 25 days. I don't care who you are, if your name is Bradman, if you're in a bubble as well, your average will come down because you're human," he added.
The Indian team came into the IPL in the UAE after a four-month long and gruelling tour of England. Skipper Virat Kohli too has spoken about how the bubble life is not sustainable in the long run.
"This is not something where you just put petrol on the back side and expect the guy to move on in overdrive. It doesn't happen that way. So I think it's tough times.
"That's why I say, in life it's not what you accomplish, it's what you overcome. That's what this team has done. They've shown the drive to hang in there, no complaints. But sooner or later, the bubble will burst. So you've got to be careful," said Shastri.
