INDIA's cricket team faces new restrictions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) following their 3-1 defeat in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
Reports suggest the BCCI attributes the poor performance, in part, to the presence of players’ wives during the tour.
Under new guidelines, wives will be permitted on long tours exceeding six weeks for no more than two weeks. For shorter tours, their stay will be limited to seven days.
Additionally, players will no longer be allowed to travel with their spouses instead of the team. All players are now required to travel together on team coaches.
The presence of wives has historically been allowed since the late 2000s, but the BCCI believes it has become a distraction.
Prominent players, including Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and KL Rahul, were accompanied by their spouses during the Australia tour.
Critics have called the move unjustified. Suresh Menon, a sports writer, termed the restriction “ridiculous” and highlighted the double standards, reported The Times.
He recalled Kohli’s performance fluctuations while accompanied by his wife, Anushka Sharma, which drew blame during poor phases but no credit during good ones.
The restrictions aim to ensure players remain focused during tours, but the debate over their necessity continues.
(With inputs from PTI)
Stills from Andaz Apna Apna
Stills from Andaz Apna Apna
Vinay Kumar Sinha
Pope Francis greets Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G7 summit near Bari, Italy, in June last year, as Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni and then British prime minister Rishi Sunak look on