'Shocking or rather laughable': Ex-selector slams BCCI's call to curb 'WAGs' stay on tours  

New Delhi: The BCCI's decision to restrict the wives and girlfriends of players from travelling beyond two weeks on tours longer than a month, following India's underwhelming performance in the Australia series, was criticised by a former national selector, who described the move as "shocking and laughable."

The decision to restrict players' wives and families from accompanying players on tours was made during a review meeting held on Saturday in Mumbai, attended by BCCI officials, head coach Gautam Gambhir, chief selector Ajit Agarkar, and captain Rohit Sharma.

As per the new rule, for series or tournaments lasting over 45 days, family members can join the players for up to 14 days, while for shorter tours, the limit is reduced to just seven days. In response to the BCCI's decision, the former selector stated that, rather than such a shocking move, changes to the team lineup were anticipated, with new faces expected to be introduced or promoted.

"Isn't it a joke that BCCI reportedly sacked WAGS for Indian cricketers' failure against Australia in BGT. We were expecting some changes in the team, some new faces might get injected or promoted, but all these reports that we are reading in the news are really shocking or rather laughable," the former national selector told IANS.

Officials believe having families present, especially during overseas assignments, can distract players and impact their performance. Additionally, the BCCI has introduced a rule requiring all players to travel with the team at all times.

This change addresses concerns over some players opting to travel separately in recent years, which the board views as disruptive to team cohesion and discipline.