India’s cricket board is under pressure once again, as players question strict limits on family travel during long tours abroad.
With a packed calendar of high-pressure overseas tours ahead—including a five-Test series in England and visits to the Caribbean and Australia—the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is once again under the microscope for its strict stance on player families traveling during long tours.
The spotlight has intensified after veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara publicly urged the BCCI and the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee to take a more balanced approach.
Pujara questions rigid restrictions
Speaking to Firstpost ahead of the announcement of Shubman Gill as India’s new Test captain, Pujara emphasized the mental and emotional benefits of having families present during extended tours.
“I would say that families should be traveling. They should be with the players, the window. I mean, there are times where the families are there throughout the series. You as a player, you know, professionally, you want to be attending your practice sessions. So there has to be a window,” said Cheteshwar Pujara.
After India’s 1-3 Test series loss in Australia, the BCCI implemented a 10-point guideline that significantly limited the duration families could stay with players while on international assignments. While no official changes have been announced since, the policy remains contentious within the squad.
A proposal for compromise
Pujara suggested that a structured window system—already adopted by several other international teams—could be the way forward.
“Normally what most of the teams do is they have a window of two or three weeks in a long tour. So if you are going away from home for 40 days, there are three weeks where families can travel. So that’s the best way to balance it out…”
He continued by pointing out how proper planning can ensure both preparation and personal well-being are respected.
“But just to balance it out, I think if you have a proper window where families can travel and at the same time, if you are going there early for preparation, then players are just focusing on the preparation part. And then when it starts you have two to three weeks window where families can travel.”
A sensitive topic within the dressing room
Several senior players, including Virat Kohli, have in the past privately expressed discomfort with the restrictions. Kohli, during earlier tours, highlighted the importance of having family support in high-stress environments.
During recent tournaments like the Champions Trophy, some players—including Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, and Mohammed Shami—had their families accompany them but chose to stay outside the team hotel, with expenses covered personally.
High-stakes summer looms
India’s five-Test tour of England begins June 20 and runs through early August, followed by a two-match Test series in the Caribbean in October and a long tour of Australia. These extended trips reignite the relevance of the debate around family presence, particularly as players spend significant time away from home under intense scrutiny and expectations.
As the Indian team transitions into a new leadership era with Shubman Gill at the helm and Rishabh Pant as vice-captain, Pujara’s remarks could not be more timely. The BCCI now faces growing internal and external pressure to reassess a policy that many believe needs to evolve with the emotional and mental demands of the modern cricket calendar.
