Reports: BCCI to ban WAGs on tours after India's loss in England

Virat Kohli

Following the 3-1 defeat to England in the just concluded Investec Test series, reports suggest that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is all set to cut down on the number of days the players’ wives can spend with them during overseas tours.

MS Dhoni’s men squandered a 1-0 lead, to concede the series. The Indian captain, speaking after the series, admitted that the players’ lost confidence as the series progressed, which affected not just their batting and bowling but fielding, as well. The bowling and fielding coaches were “dropped”, with the board flying in Indian replacements in the form of Sanjay Bangar, Bharat Arun and Ramakrishnan Sridhar. Ravi Shastri was appointed as interim Indian cricket team director, with the head coach Duncan Fletcher expected to resign after the limited overs leg.

The Indian Express quoted a ‘top BCCI official’ as saying, “The England tour has been an eye-opener for everyone. From whatever information we have gathered, it's been seen that even if players wanted to focus on their cricket, their wives were being a big distraction. When some wanted to go to the gym or do nets, they couldn't do so because their wives wanted to explore the city. So we have planned that after this England series, we will curb the number of days the wives spend with their husbands on tour."

Further, the report also suggests that girlfriends could be completely banned from accompanying players. Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma was allowed to hang around with Virat Kohli during the England tour, after the 25-year-old obtained the permission from the board for the same.

The first of the five One Day Internationals between the two sides starts on August 25 at Bristol.