Ambimama - India

England coach will not allow social networking sites or newpsper columns for his players. England’s Fabio Capello will not allow England fans with glimpses into life at the World Cup, official or otherwise, this summer. The squad will not be allowed to use Twitter or Facebook or write magazine or newspaper columns during the tournament.

Australian cricketer Philip Hughes also gaffed during the Ashes when he tweeted that he had been dropped, before Australia had announced their team.

The England manager wants his players attentions devoted solely to the matter of winning in South Africa and is reportedly thrashing out strict instructions for how he expects the squad to behave. The Irish Independent reports that the rules will include a ban on all social networking sites. Capello does not want team selection news or tactical information to be unwittingly leaked through Tweets or Facebook updates.
The move could have the unintended effect of media attention on the players’ wives and girfriends during the tournament. The likes of Victoria Beckham and Cheryl Cole are already adept at stealing the headlines. And their exploits in the beauty parlours and shopping malls of South Africa are likely to be as closely observed as their other halves’ performances on the pitch.

Capello’s mistrust of sites like Twitter is not isolated. Last week it emerged that Manchester City and Manchester United had both banned their players from using social networking sites in order to avoid controversy, leaks and the chances of being caught out by hoaxes.