ICC World Cup 2019: Pakistan players’ families not allowed to travel with team

The Pakistan team management wants the players to focus only on cricket during the mega event.

Allowing families to travel with players on long tours help players relax on long tours, feels Sarfraz Ahmed (in picture).

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), on Friday, rejected a suggestion from national team captain Sarfraz Ahmed to have players’ families travel with them during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in England.

“Yes, there was a suggestion from the captain and players that they should be allowed to have their wives and children with them in England during the World Cup, but the Board has not allowed this,” according to a PCB official.

Instead, players’ wives and children would be permitted to be with them during a One-Day International (ODI) series against England before the mega event, according to the official. The official revealed that the decision had been taken to have the players totally focus on cricket during the World Cup. “This decision has been taken by the team management,” he said.

Read | Pakistan leaves out Mohammad Amir from World Cup squad

In an interview with a TV channel, Sarfraz had said, “The World Cup and our tour of England is a long one. I believe that even cricketing wise it helps a player relax if his family is with him.

“When a player returns to his room after a day’s tensions and pressure it helps to have your family. A player wants to relax and unwind after a hard day. In Pakistan, we can go out with our friends and relatives to relax but we can’t get that atmosphere abroad. So I think if you have your wife and children you can focus on them and spend time with them and this helps you relax mentally for the next day as well.”

The Board and the team management had decided to restrict the use of social media for the players, too, according to another source.