Kapil Dev advocates balanced approach to players' families on tours
New Delhi, Mar 18 (PTI): Legendary cricketer Kapil Dev is all for family travelling with cricketers on tours but has also called for a balanced approach in dealing with the contentious issue that has divided opinions.
Following India’s 1-3 Test series loss to Australia, the BCCI issued a directive limiting the duration of family visits on tours lasting more than 45 days, allowing a maximum of 14 days of family time.
For shorter tours, players could bring their families for a maximum of one week.
"Well, I don’t know, that’s individual. I think it’s the cricket board’s call," said the 1983 World Cup-winning captain, speaking on the sidelines of the 'Kapil Dev Grant Thornton Invitational' event.
"My view is, yes, you need family. But you also need a team, all the time."
During the recently-concluded Champions Trophy, players like Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, and Mohammed Shami had their families with them in Dubai but did not stay at the team hotel. The expenses for their stay were borne by the players, not the BCCI.
"In our time, we used to say to ourselves — not by the cricket board — that the first half of the tour should be cricket, and in the second half, the family should come and enjoy it too. It should be a blend," said Kapil, who currently serves as the President of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI).
Kohli, on Sunday, had expressed his support for the presence of players’ families on tours, stating he would always prefer having personal support around him to help navigate tough and intense days on the field, rather than being isolated in his hotel room.
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India concerned over situation in Gaza; calls for humanitarian aid to affected people
New Delhi, Mar 19 (PTI): India on Wednesday said it is concerned over the situation in Gaza and called for supply of humanitarian assistance to the affected people as Israel resumed bombing in conflict-hit Palestinian territory shattering its fragile ceasefire with Hamas.
New Delhi also underlined the need to release all hostages held by Hamas.
"We are concerned at the situation in Gaza. It is important that all hostages are released," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
"We also call for the supply of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza to be sustained," it said in a statement.
India's comments came as Israel pounded Hamas targets in Gaza on Tuesday, triggering uncertainty over the ceasefire that came into effect on January 19.
According to the Hamas-run health ministry, over 400 people were killed in the Israeli bombing.
The Israeli action came after Israel and Hamas failed to agree on how to take forward the ceasefire deal from the initial phase. The deal comprised three stages.
The negotiations on the second phase of the ceasefire pact were to start around six weeks back. But the two sides could not hold the talks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country will not "relent" until it achieves all "vital goals".
"In the past two weeks, Israel did not initiate any military action in the hope that Hamas would change course. Well, that didn't happen," he said in a statement on Tuesday.
"While Israel accepted the offer of President Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, Hamas flatly refused to do so," he said.
"This is why I authorised yesterday the renewal of military action against Hamas," Netanyahu added.
India has been pitching for the "two-State solution to the Palestinian issue with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security.
Our statement on the situation in Gaza⬇️
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) March 19, 2025
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