New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likely to do a rethink on its policy to restrict ‘family stay’ during overseas tours, after facing opposition from cricketers like Virat Kohli and Kapil Dev. While ace cricketer Kohli had spoken out against this policy during a pre-IPL event a couple of days ago, the legendary Kapil Dev, India’s first World Cup winning captain, had backed him.
BCCI’s decision to restrict the visit of players’ families to only two weeks during an overseas tour that lasts over 45 days was considered a knee jerk reaction after Team India’s poor performance during the Test series against Australia (in Australia) earlier this year.
Officials seemed to have grasped on to a remark by head coach Gautam Gambhir that the team lacked cohesion in the dressing room during the matches. Some of the officials blamed this on distraction due to players spending a lot of time with their families.
According to the new BCCI circular, players’ families can start their visit two weeks after the tour starts and spend only two weeks with the players. During such visits, BCCI only arranges for shared accommodation of players with their families. All other expenses are met by the players themselves.
Kohli’s reaction came days after Team India’s tremendous performance in the Champions Trophy. Kohli’s wife and actor Anushka Sharma was present at the stadium in Dubai when Team India held aloft the Champions Trophy for a record third time. Anushka was spotted hugging her husband after the victory.
During his interview in the pre-IPL event, Kohli had said that no player wants to return to his room and sit there alone sulking after a high intensity match. He had also hinted that such decisions may be made by people who are not aware of the pressure that cricketers face today. Families are a support for them.
According to India Today, the BCCi has now issued a statement saying that players may seek permission if they want families to stay for longer periods. The Board will take a decision as it deems fit. While this does not imply that all players will be granted permission, it is certainly a climbdown from the BCCI’s earlier stand.
