Mumbai: As part of a landmark policy change, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has relaxed restrictions on players to take their families along for the Champions Trophy but with another heinous caveat. The decision follows last year’s directive that banned families from travelling on international tours, a move that faced significant pushback from players.
According to the new policy, Indian cricketers will be allowed to bring in their families to Dubai for one match each during the entire tournament—held from February 19 to March 9. This is a shift from the previous perspective that did not allow family to travel with players on this tour of a little more than three weeks.
Following India’s humiliating 3-1 loss in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy tour to Australia, the BCCI implemented its first rules. By curbing personal staff and family travel at international competitions, the board sought to tighten discipline and create a cohesive unit. But given the nature of discussions between senior Indian team officials and BCCI secretary Devjeet Saikia, it was decided that having family presence for one match could also be supportive without disrupting the mindset of the players.
Despite this concession, BCCI officials have stated that no player has approached them about bringing a family visa to Dubai. The board’s policy on personal staff is set in stone, and players were not allowed to take personal chefs or other aides with them to the tournament. The BCCI, instead, is now looking into individual chefs for catering certain specific dietary requirements of players while strictly following team protocols.
The Indian team will begin its campaign against Bangladesh on February 20 but will play most of the tournament without the comfort of family support. These new guidelines will also be applicable for the forthcoming matches against arch-rivals Pakistan and New Zealand.
This is another instance of how sports authorities are trying to balance the need for discipline and the individual requirements of sportspersons while also balancing those needs in a high-pressure discipline such as international cricket.
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