NEW DELHI: Former national selector Saba Karim has weighed in on the BCCI’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) regarding family time for players during overseas tours, stressing the importance of striking the “right balance.”
The BCCI’s current policy limits family presence on tour, permitting immediate family members to join players for 14 days after the first fortnight of tours exceeding 45 days. On shorter tours, families can stay for up to seven days. While this regulation aims to maintain focus on cricket, some players have voiced concerns over its rigidity.
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Karim acknowledged the necessity of family support but called for a middle ground. “Every player has a different mindset. The BCCI has made some rules which have been followed for many years. In between, they were not followed properly. I think players and BCCI need to find a balance. It is necessary for players to be with family. I hope the BCCI and players will find the right balance,” he told ANI.
Star cricketer Virat Kohli also weighed in on the issue, emphasising the emotional and psychological benefits of having family around. “I do not think people understand the value it brings. I feel disappointed because people who have no control over the situation are brought into conversations and put at the forefront as if they need to be kept away,” Kohli stated at the RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit.
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