An unbelievable piece of information has surfaced from India's tour of Australia as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) unrolled the new set of rules, which also put a cap on the weight of luggage the players can carry for overseas assignments. A report has claimed that the board had to put the rule in place to prevent such issues from cropping up again. The BCCI, as per the new rule, has clarified that it would only bear the cost for luggage, up to 150 kg.
A report in Dainik Jagran made the explosive revelations, highlighting how certain players have been misusing the board's lenience. A player, reportedly, had the board manage and pay for more than 27 bags during the tour Down Under. The bags didn't just belong to the player but also to his family members and personal staff. The weight of the bags went above 250kg, for which the board had to pay, as per the report.
The bags consisted of a total of 17 bats, as well as other items belonging to the members of the player's family and personal staff. As part of the BCCI policy, the luggage belonging to a player's family and personal staff is supposed to be carried separately. But, the player got the BCCI to manage all that as part of his luggage.
The report further claims that during the entire course of the tour, the family members of the player under the spotlight were with him. The BCCI, in the process, had to bear the cost of getting the player's and his family members' stuff from India to Australia and vice-versa, as well as from one city to another during the series Down Under. While the exact money spent by the board during this process isn't known, the figure is expected to be in lakhs.
This system had a bad influence on other members of the team, prompting them to follow a similar approach too. Hence, the BCCI had to act and put certain rules in place.
Since the Australia tour, a lot has changed in Indian cricket. The players are now required to travel through the team bus for matches. No player is being given permission to make personal arrangements when it comes to team travel.
As the team prepares to fly to Dubai for the ICC Champions Trophy, the BCCI has also issued a strict diktat, making the family members of the players ineligible to accompany them on the tour. A senior player, as per a PTI report, had even sought understanding on the matter as he wanted to fly his wife to Dubai for the series.
The board is said to have informed the player that the rules remain the same for everyone.
