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Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has opened up about the recent rules and regulations put in place by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for Indian players traveling with the team.
Chopra believes that these rules may have been violated, forcing the BCCI to impose stricter restrictions. According to the rules, players need to travel with the team rather than traveling to and from the venue alone.
These rules were implemented after India’s recent loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series. After the defeat, the BCCI held a review meeting attended by some senior officials including captain Rohit Sharma, head coach Gautam Gambhir and chairman of selectors Ajit Ajit Ajit Agarkar.
Aakash Chopra breaks silence on BCCI travel rules
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra argued for the need for these guidelines and predicted abuses in the past. Chopra was surprised because he believed these rules had existed before.
“Players cannot travel alone with their families. All players should travel with the team to and from matches and training. I am very surprised by this rule. Training or matches can only be done with the team,” Chopra said.
“It happens all the time. If someone wants to practice more, they ask the coach. But does anyone leave early? There must be some abuse going on; that’s why this rule is enforced,” he added.
Aakash Chopra on Yashasvi Jaiswal’s latest transgression
Aakash Chopra narrated a recent incident where opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was punished for arriving late for the team bus. However, he criticized the players for not traveling with the team but traveling alone.
“I’m pretty sure everyone doesn’t break the rules. Yashasvi Jaiswal couldn’t reach recently and he was punished for being late. That’s another story,” Aakash Chopra commented.
“If someone claims that they don’t need to travel with the team because they live somewhere else or this is their city, then whoever allows it should be called out,” the former India opener added.
What are the new rules?
Under the new rules, players must travel with the team on the team bus. Even if players are playing in their hometowns, they are not allowed to travel alone. If a player intends to travel alone, he must seek permission from head coach Gautam Gambhir and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar.
There are also rules for players’ families to take part in long-distance travel. If the tour lasts 45 days or more, families are allowed to stay with the respective player for no more than 14 days. The first two weeks were spent with family members.
The rules come after India’s recent Test series losses to New Zealand and Australia. The Men in Blue suffered a 0-3 defeat at home in the Test series and then lost 1-3 to Australia in the away series, exiting the World Test Championship final.
