England cricketer Rory Burns may miss Sri Lanka tour for birth of his first child

England’s top-order batsman in the purest format of the game, Rory Burns may miss the England tour of Sri Lanka in January as he and his wife are expecting the birth of their first child around the same timeline. Though no official confirmation has been made by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), reports suggest that England will tour Australia for a two-match Test series in January and are likely to depart on January 2 for the island nation.

As both the nations England and Sri Lanka have strict quarantine rules owing to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it won’t be feasible for Rory to leave the tour early. Speaking on his paternity leave, the batsman stated that he would be able to take a final only when the schedule of the Sri Lanka tour is announced.

“I’m not too sure at the minute.I’m waiting to see what the dates are. I don’t know them yet, so it’s a judgment call closer to the time. I’m not sure [whether I would miss a Test]. I’d like to be there for the birth, especially with it being the first one. I will need to decide a bit closer to the time, when there’s a little bit more knowledge of what’s going on,” Burns told London’s Evening Standard.

When I have played my best, it’s when cricket’s not been the be-all and end-all: Rory Burns

The 30-year-old last featured in the Test series against West Indies and Pakistan in the month of July and August. However, Burns had a lukewarm series as against West Indies he scored 234 runs at an average of 46.80 while his Test figures against Pakistan read 20 at 5.00.

Speaking about his poor run against Pakistan, Rory reckoned that this was an impact on staying in a biosecure bubble for a long period of time. He believes that he can’t get going without refreshing his mind and seeing a bit of outside world. For Burns, staying in a hotel room is the main challenge.

“The summer was short and sharp and it just got away from me at times. It was great to win both series. [Against] West Indies I played quite nicely, Pakistan I think I got some good balls. Suddenly, the summer’s done,” Rory said

“Bubble life was different. It’s not something I personally enjoyed that much. I like getting out and about a bit more, to do different things. It seems rugby has learned from that, they’ve been getting in and out of the bubble. That’s quite important. When I have played my best, it’s when cricket’s not been the be-all and end-all,” he added.