India's national head coach, Gautam Gambhir, has given a fitting response to Virat Kohli's disapproval of the Board of Cricket India's (BCCI) new family mandate that restricts the time players spend with loved ones during long overseas tours. The rule was implemented after India's shambolic display in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, in which they went down 3-1 Down Under. In the new mandate, the family can stay with players for only 14 days for tournaments lasting more than 45 days or longer and seven days for shorter tours.
The BCCI came up with this new clause and guidelines aimed at players maintaining top form and concentration during important tours and World Cup events. The rule divided the cricketing fraternity and sparked a debate within the cricketing community, with Kohli publicly disapproving of the clause. The star batter said that he did not want to return to the hotel room and sit dejected with no family members cheering him up.
Gambhir gave his views during a special interview with Cheteshwar Pujara, emphasizing that players' main focus should be to represent the nation rather than enjoying a holiday.
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Gautam Gambhir opens up about BCCI's new family clause & players dealing with it
'Families are important, but you have got to understand one thing. You are here for a purpose. It's not a holiday. You are here for a huge purpose. You have got very few people in that dressing room or in this tour that get an opportunity to make the country proud. So yes, I am not against not having families with us."
The former Indian player acknowledged the importance of having loved ones' support while maintaining that the ultimate goal of playing for the country should take precedence.
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"It is important to have families, but your focus is towards making our country proud, and you have to a much bigger role than any other thing, and you are committed to that goal, you are committed to that cause, I think everything else is fine. But for me, I think that cause and that goal is more important than any other thing."
The new family clause changes the dynamic of how the Indian Cricket Team manages player-family time during the tours. While some players like Kohli have rejected the new mandate, the team management under Gambhir maintains that professional commitments should be the primary goal.
