Dubai: England cricket's WAGs (Wives and Girlfriends) arrived Sunday to lift the gloom and calm the nerves of the England cricketers reeling under the huge defeat in the first Test match against Pakistan in Dubai.
Some of the cricketers were seen busy pushing prams and escorting their wives to the buses at the Grand Hyatt before the team's departure to Abu Dhabi for the second Test match.
England skipper Andrew Strauss strongly believes that WAGS being here won't be a distraction. "We had wives joining us during the Australian series and it isn't a problem," remarked Strauss.
Three weeks
A spokesperson for the England team told Gulf News that the families will be with the team till the end of the Test series, which means they can be with their loved ones for nearly three weeks.
The England management will be depending on the WAGs to create a positive effect on the players. It is understood that the central contract terms allow England players family visits according to the number of days spent abroad.
England team management took the same decision during the Melbourne and Sydney Test in December 2010 during the Ashes series. Their team defeated Australia by an innings and 157 runs at Melbourne and also won by an innings and 83 runs in Sydney.
England had arrived here on January 3 and the third Test will conclude only on February 7. A separate bus was arranged for the families to travel to Abu Dhabi and was escorted by a lorry full of cricket kits and luggage.
A little far away, Pakistan team bus waited for their players without their WAGs. The whole contingent, which included former Indian pacer turned match referee Javagal Srinath, left for Abu Dhabi by 11.30am.
The second Test commences from Wednesday at the Shaikh Zayed cricket stadium.
