Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra opened up about the recent rules and regulations imposed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regarding the travel of Indian players with the team.
Chopra believes that the rules may have been broken, forcing the BCCI to impose stricter restrictions. According to the rules, players are required to travel with the team instead of going to and from the field separately.
The rules were imposed after India’s recent Test series loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. After the defeat, the BCCI held a review meeting with some of the top officials present, along with captain Rohit Sharma, head coach Gautam Gambhir and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar.
Aakash Chopra breaks his silence on BCCI travel rules
While speaking on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra argued the necessity of these guidelines and predicted misuse in the past. Chopra was surprised because he believes these rules were in place before.
“Players cannot travel separately with their families. All players are expected to travel with the team to matches and practice. I am extremely surprised by this rule. Going to a practice or a match is only with the team,” Chopra said.
“This has been happening forever. If someone wants to practice more, they ask for a coach. But did someone leave early? There must have been some abuse; that’s why this rule is enforced,” he added.
Aakash Chopra on Yashasvi Jaiswal’s recent rule violation
Aakash Chopra recounted a recent incident where rookie Yashasvi Jaiswal was penalized for being late for the team bus. However, he criticized the players for not traveling with the team and for going individually.
“I’m pretty sure everyone wouldn’t have disobeyed the rule. Yashasvi Jaiswal couldn’t come recently and was penalized for being late. That’s a different story,” observed Aakash Chopra.
“If someone claims that they should not travel with the team because they have stayed somewhere else or it is their city, then whoever allowed it should be called out,” added the former India opener.
What are the new rules?
According to the new rule, players are required to travel with the team in the team bus. No player will be allowed to travel separately even if he is playing in his hometown. If the player intends to travel separately, he will have to get the necessary permission from head coach Gautam Gambhir and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar.
There are also rules regarding the availability of players’ families on long tours. If the tour lasts 45 days or more, families will be allowed to stay with the player concerned for no more than 14 days. The family cannot be there with the family for the first two weeks.
The rules come in the wake of India’s recent Test series defeats to New Zealand and Australia. The Men in Blue suffered a shock 0-3 Test series defeat at home before losing 1-3 to Australia in the away series to crash out of the race for the World Test Championship final.
