The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) might reconsider changing its family policy. This comes days after star batter Virat Kohli openly criticised the new rule, talking about the importance of having loved ones nearby, as competitive sports can become lonely if performances are not up to the mark.
After the Border-Gavaskar Trophy loss against Australia, the Indian cricket board laid guidelines for all the centrally contracted players. One major change was restricting the number of days the families could stay with players on overseas tours.
According to a report in India Today, the players can now ask the board for permission to let their families stay on tours longer.
"Players can apply for permission if they want their families to stay longer on tours. The BCCI will make a decision as it sees fit," India Today quoted a source as saying.
At a recent promotional event leading up to the upcoming 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Virat Kohli spoke about the importance of families and how they can help on long tours.
"If you ask any player, do you want your family to be around you all the time? You'll be like, yes. I don't want to go to my room and just sit alone and sulk. I want to be able to be normal. And then you can really treat your game as something that is a responsibility. You finish that responsibility, and you come back to life," Kohli had said.
What does the current family policy say?
{{/usCountry}}"If you ask any player, do you want your family to be around you all the time? You'll be like, yes. I don't want to go to my room and just sit alone and sulk. I want to be able to be normal. And then you can really treat your game as something that is a responsibility. You finish that responsibility, and you come back to life," Kohli had said.
What does the current family policy say?
{{/usCountry}}As per the guidelines issued by the BCCI after the Border-Gavaskar Trophy loss, players were asked to follow the 10-point diktat strictly.
The rule regarding family travel stated, "Players absent from India for more than 45 days during overseas tours can be joined by their partners and children (under 18) for one visit per series (format-wise) of up to a two-week period.
The board also said it will cover accommodation with the player for the visitors' period. However, all other expenses have to be borne by the cricketer.
The BCCI also clarified that any deviation from the policy needs to be pre-approved by the head coach, Gautam Gambhir, and the captain and GM of Operations.
During India's recent Champions Trophy campaign, Kohli was spotted with wife Anushka Sharma in Dubai. She was in the stands during India's last three matches (the group stage match against New Zealand, the semi-final against Australia and the final against the Kiwis).