According to Rajeev Shukla, vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the top cricket organization is implementing new access control regulations for players during the Indian Premier League with the goal of enhancing discipline and guaranteeing more stringent adherence to tournament rules.
In an effort to increase transparency and strengthen overall security measures during the competition, Shukla told reporters in Lucknow that the new IPL regulations will limit player access and prohibit unapproved meetings with cricket players in hotels, team buses, and other restricted areas.
“The BCCI is setting up new rules. The access that the players have will be controlled; unauthorised people will not be allowed to meet the players, neither in hotels nor on buses, to ensure the transparency of the IPL,” the BCCI VP said on Friday.
His comments follow BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia’s announcement the day before that the board will send a strict advisory to all IPL franchises in response to many “anomalies and irregularities” involving players, team officials, and unauthorized individuals that have been noticed during the current season.
Saikia disclosed that the BCCI had observed multiple violations of established security and anti-corruption procedures, such as unapproved individuals traveling with team members, gaining access to team hotels, and going into players’ or officials’ rooms.
Additionally, he voiced concerns about officials and club owners mingling with players in restricted locations when IPL statutes prohibit such access.
Saikia described the issue as severe and stated that the IPL and BCCI governing bodies would issue an official advise to strengthen adherence to tournament rules. He issued a warning that the board would take “very stringent action” for any further infractions.
“This time, we have observed various anomalies and irregularities in the conduct of certain franchises and players. So BCCI and IPL are preparing an advisory, and we are going to release that advisory this evening because we have noticed that there are a lot of unauthorised persons who are moving along with the team members. And some people who are unauthorised are coming to the hotels and to the players’ rooms or the team officials’ room, which is totally against our anti-corruption protocols. We have also seen that certain team owners and officials are mingling with players in areas where it is not allowed. So there are certain protocols we have to follow, and we have seen there are some dilutions. We have taken this very seriously.
?We are issuing an advisory, and it will be very strictly followed. If there is any violation hereinafter, then BCCI and IPL will take very stringent action,” Saikia told reporters.
Early in the season, the IPL also experienced disciplinary actions. During his team’s IPL match against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) earlier in the competition, Riyan Parag, the captain of the Rajasthan Royals (RR), was observed smoking an e-cigarette in the dressing room. When Parag was discovered vaping in the dressing room, he was fined 25% of his match money and given a penalty point.
On April 10, RR manager Ravinder Singh Bhinder was fined Rs 1 lakh for using a cell phone close to the dugout during a game against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium.
