Not always being able to select the best players for international series and taking more top-level stars out of the domestic competitions are among the compromises Australia head coach Justin Langer believes may need to be made to keep the game going through Covid-19.

Langer will head to the UK on Sunday with the rest of the Australia squad for the limited-overs tour but it remains uncertain what type of season he will return to, with the structure of the summer still very much up in the air due to Covid-19 restrictions.

A host of options remain on the table with Cricket Australia for how the season could play out with the top priorities being the series against India and both Big Bash tournaments although there remains a strong commitment to a full Sheffield Shield.

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Depending on what travel and border restrictions continue to be in place, it appears likely that domestic tournaments will need to be played in hubs while Australia squads may need to be bigger than normal if players can't be brought in and out around series. That could mean a number of players being selected, not playing but unable to be released back to domestic cricket either, whether that's the Sheffield Shield or the Big Bash.

"If we've got to have bigger squads because we can't have guys coming in and out, 12th and 13th men playing Shield cricket which is unlikely to happen, that will take some of our best players out of our domestic competition," Langer said. "If we play the full domestic schedule, we might have to compromise on that - the costs to the game, we can't let that blow out because that's important for the health of the game - and there might be compromises in the domestic schedule, that's being worked through at the moment.

"We might not be able to see our families because we need to keep the show on the road. Some of our best players might have to miss some international cricket so they can spend some time seeing families. Those are some of the compromises we might be looking at; we are aware and work through it as they come up.

"We know it's not going to be like it has always been. If we can just accept that and all work together then we'll get the best outcomes. What is so crucial is we get the men's internationals up and running, the Big Bash, some of the women's internationals and Women's Big Bash up and running. They are crucial for the health of our game, so we've got to work together; there is going to be some compromises made. There has to be and if we do that then we will all benefit."

Australia are taking 21 players on the England tour and those that head to the IPL while also playing all formats internationally - among them David Warner, Steven Smith and Pat Cummins - face being in bubbles or hubs for much of the rest of the year. Warner has previously suggested that the new requirements for keeping professional sport going may impact the length of international careers.

"We'll keep an eye on how the boys are travelling with the England tour then, the IPL, the quarantine then the summer kicking off," Langer said. "It's certainly something we're aware of. The guys are going to already spend a lot of time away from home but we're going to make sure we manage it really well.

"We've got to make some sacrifices for the greater good of the game of cricket in Australia but also the game worldwide. We've got to make sacrifices to make sure people get to see the Australian cricket team play again."

However, Langer was confident that the life of international cricketers before the pandemic will stand them in good stead, whereas for some other sports the concept of being in hotels for weeks on end has proved challenging, although he will be keeping a close eye on younger members of the squad.

"The strict regulations will be something very different to what we're used to," he said. "Having said that, if there's anyone who is ready for it, it would be the Australian international men's team. You know how much time we spend away from home. Whilst we have a lot more freedom than we will have at the moment we spend so much time on the road together.

"Hopefully with our experience and the time we spent on the road for most of our adult life then a lot of us will be ready for it. The younger guys who are coming in will be a challenge for them. They haven't spent as much time within the Australian camp as a lot of us have. We'll have to educate them, keep an arm around them, get around them and make sure they're okay and keep an eye on them."