BCCI breaks silence on board rethinking 'family rule' after Virat Kohli's criticism

India batter Virat Kohli's recent criticism of BCCI's policy towards family on overseas tours sparked reports that the Indian board might rethink the rule. However, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia shut the rumours on Wednesday, confirming that the policy, along with the rest of the newly-formulated SOPs for the Indian team "will remain intact." BCCI reacted to Virat Kohli's criticism of 'family rule'(Surjeet Yadav)

"At this stage, the current policy will remain intact, as it is of paramount importance to both the nation and our institution, the BCCI," Saikia told Cricbuzz.

The family rule, part of BCCI's 10-point diktat, was formulated in the wake of India's shambolic Test cricket performance. The Rohit Sharma-led side suffered an unprecedented whitewash at home against New Zealand last October, followed by a loss in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. According to the family rule: “Players absent from India for more than 45 days during overseas tours can be joined by their partners and children (under 18) for one visit per series (format wise) of up to a two-week period.”

The SOPs were put into effect during the Champions Trophy, however, it left a few players unhappy. Former India captain Kohli was among them, who questioned the logic behind the rule during a recent RCB event in Bengaluru.

"If you ask any player, do you want your family to be around you all the time? You'll be like, yes. I don't want to go to my room and just sit alone and sulk. 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," he said.

'There may be some resentment...'

Saikia added that while there may be resentment from players, it has been implemented uniformly across the Indian team, which includes the support staff as ell.

"The BCCI recognizes that there may be some resentment or differing opinions, as in a democratic setup, people are entitled to express their views," Saikia said. "The policy is applied uniformly to all team members - players, coaches, managers, support staff, and everyone involved - and has been implemented with the best interests of everyone in mind."

The BCCI secretary further reminded that the policy was not introduced out of the blue and that it has ben in place for the Indian team for ages.

"This policy has not been formulated overnight; it has been in place for decades, dating back to the playing days of our president, Roger Binny - and possibly even earlier," he said.

"The new policy is an amendment of the previous one, with additional provisions regarding players' presence at practice sessions, match schedules, tours, luggage, team movements, and other ancillary activities, all aimed at the objective of team cohesion and unity."

Saikia, however, kept options open for contemplation over a change in the rule in the future.

"The BCCI has increased the duration of family members' stay with players during overseas tours, with provisions for relaxing the norms under special circumstances, but this will be done through a proper process," he said.

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