In a tough move, Australian team management imposed an exclusion period for wives, girlfriends, and children of cricketers during the ICC World Cup and Ashes tours. The family members have been banned from team hotels for the first three matches in World Cup and first three test matches in the Ashes.
In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Australia’s team manager Gavin Dovey told the decision was made in consultation with the players and other staff members.
The management wants the players to have full focus on the games, with less outside distractions. Australia has not beaten England in the Ashes since 2001. Commentator Ian Healy blamed the Australian WAGs for the team’s poor performance during the Ashes tournament in 2015.
In 2015, former Australian wicketkeeper and commentator Ian Healy suggested the WAGs could be to blame for Australia’s poor efforts at the Ashes.
Gavin told, “We want to get the balance right with the best outcome for everyone. There are a lot of challenges but what we’ve tried to work out when we think it’s important for the group to be on their own, knuckle down and focus on the task.
“Then you look at when it’s important to be around your families. We can’t go a whole World Cup and Ashes and not have families as a big part of it. That would be ridiculous over such a long period of time.
“We want to get the balance right between what’s in the best interests of the team and the players’ individual circumstances“, he added.
The WAGs are welcomed from the fourth match onwards till the World Cup final. The players are also allowed to leave the team camp during certain exceptional situations.
