The lockdown restrictions placed on the players and coaching staff have inevitably slowed down the project which Archer referred to, but the players will be briefed on the eve of Wednesday’s decider. Further research into which project to back will follow immediately after this ODI series ends on Wednesday night and everyone can finally leave the bubble.
Holding, responding to Archer’s comments, told ESPNcricinfo that “taking a knee does not prevent other action from taking place,” Holding said. “Those who take a knee are not substituting the gesture for other positive action.”
Of all the England players, Archer will have spent the most time in England’s bubble this summer – 87 days, including five days in self-isolation after breaching the team protocol by going home between the first and second Tests against Pakistan.
“I’ll tell you, it has been mentally challenging,” Archer said. “We’ve been in here for 16 weeks or something like that, I can’t remember, I think it is going to be more rare going home or being normal again. Here has become the new norm. We’ll just have to adjust again when we get some time off.”