Shastri believes Gambhir’s policy addresses distractions caused by excessive family presence on tours
He highlights the need for a composed captain like Shubman Gill to maintain team environment and focus
The rule follows India’s tough Test losses and aims to sharpen player intensity ahead of the Australia ODI series
Ravi Shastri Welcomes BCCI’s New Family Travel Policy, Praises Captain Gill’s Leadership
Former India coach Ravi Shastri supports BCCI and current head coach Gautam Gambhir’s new rule limiting players’ family travel on tours to maintain focus amid consecutive Test series losses, while praising new captain Shubman Gill’s calm leadership
Summary
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has weighed in on the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) latest family travel policy introduced under current coach Gautam Gambhir. The new rule restricts players from having family members and personal staff accompany them on tours for extended periods.
India’s recent back-to-back Test defeats at home against New Zealand and away in Australia prompted the BCCI to implement this new travel policy to ensure cricketers maintain sharper focus and intensity during tours.
Shastri Supports Gambhir
“When there are too many people around, you tend to get distracted,” Shastri said on the Grade Cricketer podcast. “He ( Gautam Gambhir) must have seen it is getting out of hand. So he just put a limit on what can be done and what cannot be done.”
Shastri acknowledged that such disciplinary environments require a special kind of leadership.
Shastri Backs Gill
“The good thing for him is that he has got a captain now who is stable, composed and calm. Gill is the man for the next decade for India,” Shastri said.
The former coach spoke candidly about the relaxed times during his tenure, recalling how even he never had personal chefs or large entourages during tours.
“You don’t have to go to room service all the time. After a while, on tours, you want to minimize things," Shastri said, adding wryly, "I wouldn’t have minded one or two, because then at least the cuisine could have been different with a glass of red."
Gambhir’s move to curtail family travel is aimed at streamlining the team’s focus and unity ahead of India's white-ball series in Australia starting October 19 in Perth.
Published At:
Tags