Former BCCI national selector Saba Karim weighed in on the board’s SOP, which relates to the significant reduction in a player’s time with family during overseas tours. He firmly believes that BCCI and players should strike the “right balance.” The Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) rule limits the time players’ families can stay with them during tours. While prolonged separation can be challenging for families, restricting their presence to a certain period helps players focus on the game.
According to the rule, players’ immediate families, including their partners and children, can stay with them for 14 days after the first two weeks of a tour lasting over 45 days. On shorter tours, players can be accompanied by their families for up to a week.
Recent reports have suggested that players are not content with the rule. Saba Karim acknowledged that it is important for players to be with their families. However, he also believes there should be a right balance.
“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,” Saba told ANI.
Recently, India stalwart Virat Kohli voiced his opinion that every player from the Indian team would want to have their family around and spend time with them during overseas tours.
“I do not think people have an understanding of what value it brings to a large extent. And I feel quite disappointed about that because it is like people who have no control over what is going on are kind of brought into conversations and put out at the forefront that, ‘oh, maybe they need to be kept away’,” Virat said at the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit.
“I want to be able to be normal. And then you can really treat your game as something that is a responsibility. You finish that responsibility, and you come back to life. Like, there could be different situations happening in your life all the time. And that allows you to be absolutely normal. Not in a vague sense, but in a very real way that you finish your commitment, your responsibility, and then you come back to your house, you are with family,” he added.
Saba went on to discuss the ongoing Indian Premier League. He expects new talent to emerge in the 18th edition of the cash-rich league, considering the likes of Ashutosh Sharma, Vignesh Puthur, and Vipraj Nigam grabbing the spotlight with their dazzling performances.
“We will see many more this season. It is just the beginning. I think this is going to be the most explosive season ever. Season 18 will find many new stars. They will create memories that we will cherish forever,” he added.
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