Catching COVID-19 in India didn't break Sydney Thunder quick Daniel Sams, but the relentless strain of bubble life almost did.
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It's why the Sydney Thunder all-rounder asked Cricket Australia for a break from the sport in May this year, foregoing a tour of the West Indies with the national side to recharge from a gruelling schedule.
Sams had just arrived in India after being signed by IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore, but contracted the virus just days after arriving in the country.
That left him cooped up in a hotel room for two weeks and unable to escape India as Covid began spreading like wildfire through the country.
"It was quite isolating as you could imagine because you need to isolate," Sams said
"It was a weird and interesting time just because I'd never been to India before and then four days into my quarantine, to get out, I found out that I had Covid so I had to add another 10 days onto that.
"My symptoms weren't horrible but it lingered for a few months, just some of the not feeling the same after it. I was aware of things, whenever I did my fitness training I could feel I couldn't get the same amount of oxygen in, I wasn't recovering as quick as I usually would."
Sams recovered in time to play two matches for his IPL team, before the competition was put on hold and Australian cricketers were encouraged to leave the country.
That's when Sams decided it was time to put cricket to one side for a while, and spend time at home with his wife, Danii, instead of facing the prospect of another tour confined within a biosecurity bubble.
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"After that, I got back and I was pretty done to be honest," Sams said.
"I was pretty tired of being in the bubbles. I just needed some time at home, I just needed to spend some time with my wife.
"It's probably one of the best decisions I've ever made to be honest, It's really helped me to have some time away from cricket and be able to just be home and have some time off that rollercoaster.
"That's why I decided not to go to the West Indies and Bangladesh with the Aussie guys, and also to pull out of the second half of the IPL just so I could be home for awhile and re-energise myself so I had some energy for this summer, and also to feel energised to go to the World Cup if I was selected."
Despite his mid-year break, Sams was still selected in the Australian squad which claimed its maiden T20 World Cup in the UAE last month.
He didn't play in any games, but being around the sport again helped Sams return to the right headspace ahead of the Australian domestic summer.
On Monday he'll spearhead a Sydney Thunder attack out to get one back on the Brisbane Heat, after the Queensland side bundled Sams's team out of last year's Big Bash finals.
"I'm really happy that I was able to make that decision and I was still able to go to the World Cup even though I pulled out of some of those Aussie tours, it ended up working out really well," Sams said.
"I've been looking forward to the BBL for awhile now. I love playing with the Sydney Thunder and with these guys, I'm excited for what the year holds for us."
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