Paul Collingwood says long-term effect of Covid bubbles is 'scary'

The potential long-term effects of Covid bubbles on cricketers is scary, says England coach Paul Collingwood.

England's men are in the West Indies for a five-match Twenty20 series.

It follows a winter where they lost in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup, held in the UAE, and suffered a 4-0 Ashes defeat in Australia.

«You can't even explain what it's like until you experience it,» said Collingwood, who is in charge of England in the Caribbean.

Former all-rounder Collingwood, 45, added: «I just hope there are no ramifications moving forward because when they come, they won't be obvious next week or the week after.

»These are things that might come out down the line. That's what scares me."

Collingwood was also part of the coaching staff at the T20 World Cup in the autumn and then the Ashes, which saw five Tests in as many weeks.

«The simple fact is you cannot walk out of your front door and, as soon as you're told that you cannot do something as simple as going for a coffee and you are penned in with the same guys, it hits you,» he said.

«I almost think it is too late to get these messages across. These sorts of things should have been brought out in the middle of last summer.

»We saw the signs then when boys were fading and it is not healthy for the game. This isn't just us. We have obviously played the most amount of cricket, but it will catch up with other teams as well."

Collingwood believes England's performances in the Ashes were affected by bubbles and a lack of preparation, with the first Test in Brisbane coming less than a month after England's T20 World Cup defeat to New Zealand in Abu Dhabi.

«Going to the Ashes off the back of a tough bubble in Dubai [at the T20 World Cup], I think was literally one step too far,» he