India bans wives and girlfriends from cricket tours

India’s internal dynamics are being put through the tumble dryer as reports swirl over a controversial new ban on star players’ families.

Australia is a brutal place to tour with its venomous fast bowling attacks and raucous crowds.

The isolation of being far from home can be an exhausting experience for cricketers.

The pressures mount, and it’s no surprise that many players both past and present have found themselves grappling with the solitude of long tours.

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As the world moved forward, wives and girlfriends were allowed to join the team on tours in the hope they would provide some emotional relief from the mental strain of professional sport on the road.

On India’s recent tour to Australia, it was clear that the presence of players’ spouses had become a norm.

The cricketing community got used to seeing Virat Kohli accompanied by Bollywood star Anushka Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah with his wife Sanjana Ganesan, and KL Rahul with actress Athiya Shetty.

The cricketing community got used to seeing Virat Kohli accompanied by Bollywood star Anushka Sharma on tour. But that might all be coming to an end. (Photo by Peter PARKS / AFP)

But as India’s 3-1 loss in the Border-Gavaskar series has left the nation’s cricketing administrators with a handful. There are many cooks in the kitchen when it comes to analysing and addressing exactly why the team is underperforming.

The consensus has pointed to an unlikely scapegoat: the wives.

It’s a narrative that’s been gaining ground among some who feel that the presence of spouses during long tours creates distractions.

There have also been rumours that India’s players chose to celebrate with their families and not with the entire team after winning the first Test in Perth.

Yahoo Sport reports that one staff member was said to have offered their own credit card to pay for a team celebration to keep the squad together, but that was rejected.

Jasprit Bumrah and his wife Sanjana Ganesan and son Angad.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has now made the decision to limit the time spouses can accompany players on long tours.

The new rule will allow wives to travel for no more than two weeks on tours longer than six weeks, while shorter tours may only permit seven-day visits.

Indian sports writer Suresh Menon has been vocal in his criticism, calling the ban “ridiculous.”

He pointed out the fact that, during one tour where Kohli’s performance dipped, it was blamed on the presence of Sharma.

But when Kohli later scored a century with her by his side, no one credited her support for his success.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.

Originally published as India bans wives and girlfriends from cricket tours