STAR batter Virat Kohli said he was in favour of families accompanying players while on tours, adding that he preferred their personal support to deal with tough and intense days on the field, instead of “sulking alone” in a hotel room.
India’s cricket board, the BCCI, issued a directive after the team’s 1-3 Test series defeat against Australia, in which family time for players was restricted to no more than 14 days on tours exceeding 45 days.
On shorter tours, the wife, children or girlfriends of players could be with them for a maximum of one week.
During the recently-concluded Champions Trophy, Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami were among those who had their families in Dubai, but they stayed away from the team hotel.
The expense of the families’ stay was borne by the players and not the BCCI.
In comments at the RCB’s [IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru] Innovation Lab summit in the city last Saturday (15), Kohli said, “The role of family is very difficult to explain to people… how grounding it is to just come back to your family every time you have something which is intense, which happens on the outside. I don’t think people have an understanding of what value it brings.
”Having one’s family would help a player to recover from onfield disappointments that much quicker, Kolhi added.
“I don’t want to go to my room and just sit alone and sulk. I want to be able to be normal. Then you can really treat your game as something that is a responsibility. Not in a vague sense, but in a very real way that you finish your commitment and then you come back to your house. You’re with family, and [there is] absolutely normalcy in your house and normal family life goes on.
“So, for me, that is absolutely a day of immense pleasure. I won’t miss any opportunities to spend time with my family whenever I can,” he added.
The 36-year-old father of two said that he was “disappointed” because people with no real connection with the issues have been involved in such discussions.
“I feel quite disappointed about that because it’s like people who have no control over what’s going on are brought into conversations and put out at the forefront of that –‘oh, maybe they [families] need to be kept away’.
“And if you ask any player, do you want your family to be around you all the time? You’ll be like, ‘yes’,” he said.
The batsman also revealed he may not have another tour of Australia left in him after his team’s humbling Test series defeat Down Under, but ruled out retiring any time soon as he still enjoyed playing the game too much.
Kohli arrested a long run of poor form with an unbeaten ton in the series opening Test in Perth in November, but frequently got out chased balls moving away from his stumps. He managed a total of 190 runs at an average of 23.75.
Kohli said the slump was reminiscent of his dismal run in England in 2014 where he made 134 runs.
“If you ask me the intensity of how disappointed I’ve been, the recent Australia tour would be the one that’s most fresh. So it might feel the most intense,” Kohli said.
“For a long time, the tour of England in 2014 bothered me the most. But I can’t look at it that way. I might not have an Australia tour again in four years. I don’t know. You have to make peace with whatever’s happened in your life.”
Kohli quit Twenty20Is after India’s World Cup win last year, but continues to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He remains a key member of India’s Test team, and played a big role in their 50-overs Champions Trophy triumph last week.
But Kohli conceded that staying at the top of his game was getting tougher with age.
“I want to be able to have all my energy in place. Now, it takes much more effort as people who have played the game for a long period of time understand. You can’t do so many things in your mid-to-late 30s that you can in your mid-20s. I’m at a bit of a different place in my life as well,” he said. “For me it’s a natural progression. I’m sure all these young guys will hopefully get to that place. But now, the energy that’s coming out of me feels very peaceful and calm.”
He added, “Me playing the game is not for achievements. It pretty much comes down to the pure joy and enjoyment and love for the game. As long as that love is intact, I’ll continue to play. I have to be honest about that with myself.
“Don’t get nervous, I’m not making any announcements. As of now everything’s fine.
Nat Sciver-Brunt
