The Indian Cricket Board has barred wives and family members of cricket players from accompanying them for not more than 14 days on a 45-day long tour, alongside making it compulsory for all team members to travel together in the team bus. Per the latest report, the board issued these mandates to ensure better connectivity among players, leading to improved team performance.
Per a report in Dainik Jagran, the board reintroduced an old rule, scrapped during the Covid period, banning players from staying with their families on the away tours, which impacts their performances. Even during the recently concluded Australian tour Down Under, wives and family members of several cricketers were there with them during the five-match series.
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Though the new rules bars WAGs and family members from staying beyond a fortnight, on the shorter tours, the duration is reduced to seven days.
Moreover, the board is aware of several players opting to travel separately rather than doing it together with the team.
"Keeping in view the team unity, now all the players will travel by the team bus only. No matter how big a player is, he will not be allowed to travel separately," read the report.
BCCI bans Gambhir’s manager
Until now, never before in Indian cricket did a coach’s manager travel along with the side, stay in the same hotel, and even have access to VIP box in stadiums, but Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir’s manager, Gaurav Arora, was doing all of this.
The Indian Cricket Board was made aware of the situation and acted swiftly, banning Arora from being part of it.
England series, Champions Trophy next
Team India failed to qualify for the WTC Final 2025 following losing the away BGT Down Under for the first time in ten years.
Despite winning the first Test in Perth, India conceded the lead, going down (1-3), and with that, lost the chance to make it to their third straight WTC Final.
However, with England’s white-ball series and the Champions Trophy coming up, the Men in Blue are in line to put the past miseries behind them and go for the glory.
India will take on England in five T20Is and three ODIs starting January 22 in Kolkata and begin their Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh on February 20 in Dubai.
(With inputs from agencies)