BCCI: ‘No WAGs’ policy intact for Indian players

New Delhi: The BCCI has stuck to its policy of players’ families not being allowed to stay with them during the duration of the T20 World Cup campaign, as per reports.

According the BCCI’s rule, for series or tournaments lasting over 45 days, family members can join the players for up to 14 days, while for shorter tours, the limit is reduced to just seven days.

As per the Indian Express report, the Indian team management had sought clarity regarding allowing families of cricketers to join them. But the board clearly stated that “families won’t be staying with the players.”

“The board has made it clear that families won’t be staying with the players. They can make separate arrangements, though, if they want to,” the report quoted the source as saying.

India will play three matches of the league phase at home and one game in Colombo (against Pakistan) during the T20 World Cup.

The decision to restrict players’ wives and families from accompanying players on tours, scrapped during the Covid-19 pandemic, was reinstated last January after India’s disappointing performance in Test cricket, including a 0-3 loss at home to New Zealand in 2024 and a 1-3 defeat in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia, to address the situation.

Officials believed having families present, especially during overseas assignments, can distract players and impact their performance. Additionally, the BCCI has introduced a rule requiring all players to travel with the team at all times.

India began its T20 World Cup campaign with a win over the USA and will take on Namibia on Thursday at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi before locking horns with archrivals Pakistan on February 15 in Colombo. IANS

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