Taking your wives on tours is not wrong, but players should first play together as a team: Kapil Dev

Former Indian captain Kapil Dev has expressed his support for the idea of wives and girlfriends (WAGs) accompanying Indian cricketers on overseas tours. However, he admits there should be a constraint on their stay to ensure team connection.  

Speaking on the Cricket Adda YouTube channel, the 1983 World Cup-winning skipper proposed that WAGs should not be allowed for the initial 20 days of a one-month tour.  

“Taking your wives on tours is not wrong, but I feel that if the tour is one month, they should not be allowed for the first 20 days so that the players can play together as a team,” Kapil Dev stated.  

He emphasized that for longer tours, the team should prioritize spending time together without any extraneous disturbance.  

“Similarly, for a three-month campaign, at least for a month, players should be left alone with the team. Also, teams should travel together. This is not an individual sport,” he added.  

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The presence of WAGs during international tours has been a topic of the town, particularly after India's 1-3 Test series defeat in Australia between November and January. This dispute performance, coupled with a 0-3 home series loss to New Zealand, led the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to enforce more rigid policies on the team. Among these measures was a restraint on WAGs accompanying players on tours.  

Kapil Dev’s remarks highlight the importance of team bonding and collective focus in cricket. While he believes and acknowledges that having family support can be beneficial and favourable, he believes that players must first establish strong camaraderie with their teammates before reconciling with their families during extended tours. His views reflect the delicate and sensible balance between personal life and professional commitments in the intense world of international cricket.