A couple of days back the much-anticipated meeting between the Committee of Administrators (CoA) and members of Team India took place in Hyderabad, but the details of it weren’t revealed in public. However, though all parties to the meeting were asked to refrain from discussing the content of the meeting outside, one aspect which was possibly discussed during the two-hour talk is about the stay of the players’ WAGs (Wives and Girlfriends) on tours.
As per the reports in Bangalore Mirror, it has been learned that WAGs will not be allowed to stay with the players for the entire duration of an overseas tour. It was decided that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should adopt a universal policy when it came to the wives and partners.
The Indian skipper Virat Kohli had requested to allow the players’ WAGs for the entire overseas tours but it was agreed that the BCCI should follow the policy other boards in this regard, especially that of Cricket Australia (CA). The CA works in tandem with the Australian Cricketers Association whereby a period is finalized for the family members for coming and visiting the players. Such periods vary from one tour to another, as the Mirror cited a CA spokesperson as saying.
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However, for the World Cup lined up in May-July next year, the BCCI has decided to follow the model. In the last World Cup played in Australia and New Zealand in 2015, wives were not allowed till the semi-finals. The same rule will be followed for the next edition.
India’s next big tour is of Australia which is starting on November 21 and will continue till January 18. Kohli and his men will play three T20Is and as many ODIs and four Tests on the tour.
Besides Kohli and CoA chief Vinod Rai, India’s Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, ODI and T20I vice-captain Rohit Sharma, chief selector MSK Prasad and others were present during that meeting.
