Legendary West Indies fast bowler Andy Roberts has questioned some of the reasoning behind players opting not to go on the team’s upcoming tour of Bangladesh.

12 players, including captains Jason Holder, Kieron Pollard, and Roston Chase all opted to make themselves unavailable for the series, citing health and safety concerns.  Joining the trio on the sidelines are Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Sheldon Cottrell, Evin Lewis, Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran, Fabian Allen and Shane Dowrich.

With so many players deciding not to accept the invitation on this occasion, however, Roberts has questioned the difference between England and New Zealand vs Bangladesh.

“How do all of these guys who couldn’t make a team two or three years ago now become so big that they are refusing to tour and blaming it on the bubble,” Roberts said.

Read more at SportsMax

i just like roberts he a straight shooter telling it like it is. a lot of these players are playing in a bubble in franchise leagues across the world so this bubble excuse don't fly

How can anyone who has not experienced what players are currently faced with decide how much individuals can bear?

Most other countries are putting some mental health systems in place to aid dere players but we bash ours.

In reply to Maispwi

We NOW start bashing???

In reply to Maispwioh making thousands of dollars and owning three and four houses and cars must be tough

these Antiguans do talk dam talk...Roberts/ Ambrose and Viv

Roberta should talk when he has to play during a global pandemic and 1.8 million people and counting have DIED as a result

He increasingly comes across as a Neanderthal

I have some empathy for him because he’s struggling with accepting the reality that times have changed. Players of lesser ability than himself are deriving comparatively tremendous financial rewards from the game, and the kicker for him is the options that players today have that he never had.

In short, he’s a bitter, angry, envious, former player.

It can’t be easy for him....or others in a similar situation.

In reply to imusic
You sound so dumb and gullible. If you really believe the excuses these money-grabbing, prideless guys are making, then, meet me at the foot of the Brooklyn bridge with your check book. Just wait and see these guys showing up all over the world, where covid is even more rampant than in Bangladesh, playing T20. It's all about the money. But, when their limited abilities wane and most of the money is wasted and they come back begging for a place in West Indies cricket, tell them to GO TO HELL!
As I have said. disband West Indies cricket. Let these ungrateful, greedy, shameless idiots learn their craft in their back yards with their sisters and brothers. We need to stop teaching them the game. Stop creating opportunities for them to learn the game at our expence, then go elsewhere to entertain people in other countries.
One thing I have to say to these guys, money is not all there is to life! There is also an important thing called self-respect.

In reply to Halliwell
Yes, because the West Indies is the only cricketing nation where their players devote 100% to T20 and money, and 0% to country and pride. They are the laughing stock of the cricketing world.

In reply to rhatid

What country? Yuh mean the dysfunctional amalgamation known as the West Indies where Bajans and Leeward islands(really Antiguans) demand the most places on the team regardless of fitness or actual talent'?

In reply to Jumpstart
You're kinda making my point. I repeat, DISBAND WEST INDIES CRICKET!

In reply to rhatid

Tel all that to all the players who end up penniless and destitute after playing West Indies cricket.

To al those players that got injured on WI duty and had to foot medical expenses themselves.

To all the players that had to fly themselves and colleagues to Matches for the WI because the board didn’t make the proper flight arrangements.

To the players that agreed one thing with their board only for their board to cut their pay 50% while on tour

Play for WI under any circumstance. Under any condition. Just because they say so.

Hopefully you don’t have children. Fine example you set for them.

In reply to Jumpstart

You are a v bitter disingenuous banna

Mindies cricket is a joke. They exist to cheat and swindle money from the rest of the cricketing world..

In reply to rhatid

In reply to imusic

Was Andy Robert part of the Packer group?

In reply to Khaga

Trying to be a bigger khaca than last year.

[b]In reply to Barry[/b
Why is it only the West Indies players who are behaving like money on earth is about to run out. Why can't they do just a portion of what players from other countries do - play T20 and make your money, then make yourself available (at least sometimes) to play for the place where they learned their craft. These guys are behaving like kids in a candy store. And FYI, Barry, they are the ones who are poor examples to their children. I would never teach my children to abandon those who gave you the opportunity in the first place because they aren't as not as rich as other who can pay you to help keep your own region and people down. I would never teach my children to be so gravalicious that they lose their self-respect to the point where they can't even see the poor examples of human beings they are.

In reply to Maispwi
Correct - Andy is my brethren but he is wrong on this. I would dissuade anyone I know from exposing themselves to Covid or the quarantine/bubble conditions.

In reply to velo

In reply to Chrissy
I guess, the Bangladesh covid is more dangerous that the Australian covid! Enjoy your slumber!

This is my problem with Robert's statement. It also represents how a lot of others think. " how they get so big' the perception is that decisions are made and privilege given based on status.
if the WI can guarantee players a pick every time they available, then we can argue they will reciprocate by being available every time they are picked.

In reply to soloview


it is unfortunate, but to me it seems Andy is simply jealous. The game and the money has changed from the 70s and 80s. these guys dont need to kiss ass to necessarily survive.

In reply to Maispwi

Steve Smith has been in a covid bubble for 5 months.

How many other sides are having the amount of player withdrawals the West Indies have had?

In reply to Kay
For most the picture is very clear...

some of these people also declined to go England. NZ, as we know is much safter so they went there .

Some just came out of multiple bubbles so it is OK to now say I had enought so I will miss this one

Some is for personal reasons ( As stated by selector)

I was hopeing many of these players went on tour, but I think is more selfish of us to hold it aganist them than it is of them to decline selection.

For the prima donnas and privileged.

Cricinfo excerpts of Nathan Lyon interview

Please take into consideration that Roberts is not just an ex- test player but an ex pro cricketer playing top level county cricket for Hampshire every day of the week sometimes in cold conditions.

I dont think these current players have even experienced that.

I wonder how many “bubbles” Lyon has been part of? And for how long?

Let’s take Jason Holder as one example:

England tour - June 6 to July 30. 7 weeks

IPL - September 26 to November 11. 6 weeks

NZ tour - Nov 14 to Dec 16 - 4 weeks

Big Bash - Dec 16 to Dec 30 - 2 weeks

So he’s had nearly 5 months of being in a bubble in the space of 6 months.


Ironically for Holder, he left Big Bash early to go home, only to be faced with a further lock down in Bim.

In reply to imusic

IPL and Big Bash are not part of representing West Indies!

In reply to StumpCam

In reply to imusic
and before these he had the CPL bubble

In reply to soloview

Corrrect. Forgot about that. Thumbs up emoji

In reply to imusic

CPL doh count?

In reply to imusic

Holder only signed up for 3 games

In reply to StumpCam

Bubble fatigue is real.

Maybe Lyon shud tell these two to suck it up

In reply to Maispwi