According to Dainik Jagran, After a review meeting in Mumbai on Saturday between head coach Gautam Gambhir, chief selector Ajit Agarkar, captain Rohit Sharma, and BCCI officials, the board is now formulating new guidelines for players and coaching staff. The board is considering reimplementing pre-2019 rules, which were relaxed due to COVID-19.
Impact During Foreign Tours
An official working at BCCI’s Mumbai office said that after discussions, some important points were suggested for the guidelines, with the most significant being the presence of cricketers’ wives and families throughout tours. It was observed that having family members stay with players throughout tournaments, especially during foreign tours, affects performance.
Family Can Stay Only 14 Days
According to the new guidelines, for tournaments lasting 45 days or more, wives or family members can stay with players for only 14 days. For shorter tours, this period will be limited to seven days. During the 1-3 loss in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, several cricketers’ wives and families were present in Australia throughout the tour.
In recent years, it was noticed that some players would travel separately instead of with the team bus. This will now be strictly regulated. Considering team unity, all players will travel in the team bus. No player, regardless of their stature, will be permitted to travel separately.
Strict Rules for Gambhir’s Manager
Gautam Gambhir’s manager Gaurav Arora, who constantly accompanies him on tours, will face restrictions. Previously, no head coach had a personal manager with them. Gambhir’s manager will not be allowed to stay in the team hotel or sit in the VIP box at stadiums. He won’t travel in the team bus or the following bus. If any player’s luggage exceeds 150 kg during air travel, BCCI will not pay for it. Players will have to pay the additional airline charges themselves.
Fixed Tenure for Support Staff
After the loss in Australia, questions are being raised about the Indian team’s support staff. Many staff members have been associated with the team for years, leading to stagnant performance. It has been decided that support staff will have a two-year tenure, which can be extended by one year. Thus, their maximum tenure can be three years. Consequently, many support staff members will now be relieved of their duties.
