Aaron Finch's two-month stint outside Australia, during which a hasty return to his pregnant wife will be impossible, underlines the pressure cricketers are under in the pandemic era.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Australia's 20-man travelling party will depart for the Caribbean on Monday, when David Warner and Pat Cummins will be among notable absentees.
The squad will play five Twenty20s and three ODIs against West Indies, travel to Bangladesh for a five-match T20 series then return home for a fortnight of hotel quarantine.
Finch is set to return to his house on August 25, while wife Amy is due to give birth to the couple's first child on September 8.
"They're the risks you take," national captain Finch said.
"She wasn't too keen on me going and if she happens to give birth a bit early, we might be in some trouble ... it might be a FaceTime birth, I don't know."
Finch admitted the strain of biosecurity bubbles and hotel quarantine, which prompted a stack of stars to sit out a trip serving as a selection trial for the T20 World Cup in October-November, is a concern.
"I don't have the answer for you but it's something that needs to be looked at," he said, expressing hope that family members could soon return to regularly travelling with the squad.
"I remember speaking to Davey Warner about it during his IPL stint.
"His kids are at an age where they understand how long time is ... when you have kids crying on FaceTime, it doesn't make it easy."
It comes after former England captain Michael Vaughan declared this summer's Ashes should be called off if the tourists' families can't be part of the trip.
Cummins, Warner, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Daniel Sams and Marcus Stoinis requested not to be considered for the upcoming tour, while Steve Smith was unavailable because of an elbow injury.
Despite sympathising with the absentees, Finch made it clear they had done themselves no favours regarding T20 World Cup selection.
"It's a great opportunity to almost take their spots," the opener said, preparing for his first series since eye surgery.
"You have to go on current form.
"You pick guys who are playing well ... conditions are going to be very similar to what we face at the T20 World Cup."
It is hard to envisage Cummins, Warner, Smith or Maxwell being left out of the World Cup squad but others may risk being leapfrogged.
Meanwhile, Finch said the squad will discuss in coming days whether to take a knee in the West Indies.
Finch and teammates, having attracted criticism from icon Michael Holding and others last year after failing to adopt the gesture, took part in a pre-series Indigenous barefoot circle ceremony last summer.
"Over the last 12 months we've educated ourselves quite a bit on Black Lives Matter," he said.
"We'll speak to (West Indies veteran) Jason Holder and be really respectful and supportive of anything they wish to do."
Australian Associated Press
