The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday, May 7, issued an eight-page directive for all the IPL teams, raising concerns about the serious breach of protocols during the ongoing tournament. BCCI also rolled out diktats for both players and teams, which will need to be adhered to in the future and with immediate effect.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia wrote to all ten franchises on Thursday, highlighting the protocol breaches this season and urging the teams to reinforce professionalism and discipline.
“The advisory has been issued in light of certain incidents observed during ongoing season and is intended to reinforce the standards of professionalism, discipline, security awareness and protocol compliance expected from all stakeholders associated with IPL,” wrote Saikia, according to PTI.
The directive sets the record straight with the teams, owners and the players, pointing out the breaches that have been reported by the Anti Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) of BCCI.
“It has come to the attention of the BCCI that certain incidents of misconduct and protocol violation have occured involving players and support staff and team officials during the course of the current IPL season. These incidents if left unaddressed, carry the potential to cause significant reputational harm to the tournament, the Franchise concerned and the BCCI as the Governing Body. They may further expose individuals and franchises to legal liability and security risks of serious nature,” read the statement.
The message from the BCCI also pointed out the visits from unauthorised people in the players’ hotel rooms as a major area of concern.
“It has been observed that certain players and support staff members have permitted unauthorised persons to access their hotel rooms without the knowledge or approval of the concerned IPL franchise Team Manager. In a number of instances, Team Manager was entirely unaware of the presence of such visitors. The practice is strictly prohibited with immediate effect,” said the BCCI secretary.
The BCCI also took note of the unauthorised movement by players without informing the Security Liaison Officers (SLOs).
“Instances have been noted of players and support staff leaving team hotels at irregular hours without informing the designated Security Liaison Officers (SLOs) or Team Integrity Officer (TIOs). Such departures create significant security vulnerabilities and expose individuals to risks that cannot be mitigated if the relevant personnel are uninformed,” said Saikia in the letter
The document also mentioned the breaches by unnamed team owners, who haven’t maintained the sanctity of the Players’ And Match Officials Access (PMOA).
“The BCCI has noted with concern that certain IPL franchise owners have not adhered to the Players and Match Officials Access (PMOA) protocol during the course of the matches. Specifically instances have been observed of IPL franchises owners attempting to communicate with, approach, hug, or otherwise physically interact with players during live match situations. Such conduct however well-intentioned, directly contravenes established protocol and may constitute interference with team dynamics and match proceedings,” read the statement.
BCCI’S DIKTATS FOR PLAYERS, STAFF, TEAM OWNERS
The directive issued a three-point dikhtat for players and support staff in the letter.
- No person irrespective of their identity, relationship to team member or stated purpose shall be permitted entry into player’s or support staff member’s hotel room without prior knowledge and explicit written approval from Team Manager.
- Guests and visitors shall be received exclusively in designated public areas of hotel such as lobby or hotel reception lounge. No guest shall be escorted to private hotel rooms unless Team Manager has specifically authorised the same in writing.
- The BCCI draws attention to all Franchises to the well documented risks of targeted compromise and Honey Trapping that pervade high profile sporting environments. The possibility of incidents giving rise to serious legal allegations, including those under applicable Indian laws on sexual misconduct cannot be discounted. IPL franchises must remain vigilant an proactive in mitigating such risks at all times.
When it came to player movement, BCCI laid down some strict laws for the stars.
- All players and support staff must inform and obtain clearance from the SLO and/or TIO before departing from the team hotel at any hour.
- Any planned movement outside the hotel, for personal, recreational, or any other purposes, must be communicated to the Team Manager and the SLO well in advance of the intended departure.
- The SLO/TIO shall maintain a contemporaneous log of all team movements, to be made available to the BCCI Operations Team upon request.
The owners were also issued a three-point guideline in light of the breaches in PMOA
- IPL franchise owners and their representatives are strictly prohibited from communicating with or physically accessing players or team officials in the dugout, dressing room or playing area during course of the match, except through designated and approved channels.
- All franchise owner level access to restricted zones must strictly conform to the PMOA Protocol as communicated by the IPL operations Divisions. Any deviation shall be treated as serious violation.
- Franchise management is responsible for ensuring that IPL franchise owners and their associates are fully briefed on applicable protocols prior to each match day.
BAN ON VAPING
Another controversy that hit the IPL was Riyan Parag being caught vaping inside the RR dressing room during their match against PBKS.
This was followed by another incident, when Yuzvendra Chahal was seemingly caught using an e-cigarette on one of the vlogs made by Arshdeep Singh.
Saikia reminded in the letter that vaping is prohibited under Indian law and any individual engaging in it could be a committing a cognisable offence.
The BCCI secretary said that the use of e-cigarettes is strictly banned within all the IPL venues, dressing rooms, dugouts and team hotels.
“Instances of vaping within dressing room and other restricted areas of tournament venues have been brought to BCCI’s attention. It is pertinent to note that vapes and electronic cigarettes is prohibited under applicable Indian Law. Any individual found engaging in such conduct within tournament premises is not only violating BCCI and IPL regulations but may also be committing a cognisable offence under applicable statutory framework.
“Accordingly, the use of vapes, e-cigarettes, and all prohibited substances is strictly banned within all IPL tournament venues, including dressing rooms, dugouts, team hotels and practice facilities,” wrote Saikia.
WHAT TEAMS MUST DO NOW
The BCCI has made team managers and designated franchise officials jointly responsible for enforcing the new directives. Managers must conduct a mandatory team briefing within 48 hours of the advisory and obtain written confirmation from all players and staff acknowledging the rules.
They have also been instructed to set up a formal guest approval system with daily records of visitors, and maintain a movement log in coordination with the SLO/TIO to track all entries and exits from the team hotel.
CONSEQUENCES OF VIOLATIONS
The BCCI stated that it will conduct periodic checks to ensure the latest directives are being followed by the teams and players.
“Any breach of the aforementioned directives must be self-reported to the IPL Operations Team or the relevant IPL Venue Team at the earliest opportunity. The BCCI trusts that all IPL franchises will treat this Advisory with the seriousness it warrants and take all necessary steps to uphold the integrity and reputation of the Indian Premier League,” Saikia wrote.
The BCCI also said that any violation of the new directives will be considered to be a serious disciplinary violation. The board said that they can take several actions on the defaulters, if they’re found guilty of breaching the directives.
“Non-compliance shall expose the relevant IPL franchise and the individual concerned to proceedings under the applicable provisions of the IPL Regulations, the BCCI Rules & Regulations, and other applicable statutes, as the circumstances may warrant,” Saikia wrote.
“Franchises are strongly advised to take cognisance of this Advisory and take all necessary steps to ensure full compliance. The BCCI reserves the right to conduct periodic audits and inspections to ascertain adherence to these directives,” he added.
The actions that can be taken against people breaching the directives are as follows:
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- Issuance of a formal show-cause notice to the Franchise and/or the individual concerned.
- Imposition of financial penalties on the Franchise or individual, as prescribed under the IPL Regulations.
- Suspension or disqualification of the player, support staff member, or team official from the ongoing or subsequent IPL season(s).
- In cases involving legal violations, including use of prohibited substances, breach of security protocol, or conduct amounting to harassment, referral of the matter to the appropriate law enforcement authorities.
- Any other action as the BCCI / IPL Governing Council may deem appropriate in the interest of the tournament and the sport
– Ends
