Despite Indian captain Rohit Sharma getting caught off record claiming to speak with the new BCCI secretary over relaxing some pointers in the new mandate released by the BCCI in the wake of India’s horrid run in Tests lately, the latest reports suggest that the board has cleared its stance over the same, saying these SOPs are ‘non-negotiable’.

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Per Cricbuzz, the BCCI has formally and officially handed over the new SOPs – surrounding travel, nets, luggage allowances and travelling family members, including wives and partners, to all the players, informing all to abide by them.

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After India lost the home Test series to New Zealand (for the first time in history) before conceding the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (for the first time in a decade), the BCCI came down hard on the centrally contracted Indian cricketers, putting in several restrictions. Though the ten-pointer new policy had several talking points, disallowing wives/girlfriends not to continue staying with their partners beyond two weeks (on long tours) and seven days (on short tours) made headlines.

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Per the BCCI, the objective of this new SOP was ‘to establish guidelines that promote discipline, unity, and a positive team environment while ensuring professional standards and operational efficiency during tours and series.’ 

"There is no going back on this, and the players have made aware that the BCCI is very serious about the SOPs," a source close to the information revealed in a chat with Cricbuzz.

The source further revealed that most restrictions are around restricting personal staff during the ICC Champions Trophy.

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"Personal staff (e.g., personal managers, chefs, assistants and security) are to be restricted on tours or series unless explicitly approved by the BCCI. This ensures that the focus remains on team operations and minimizes logistical challenges. - this has to be done away with."

"The players were known to have more than half a dozen staff in their personal entourages, including cooks, nannies and hairdressers, besides, the immediate family members. The BCCI is very strict about this rule," the source continued. 

BCCI's new mandate

Per the earlier advisory issued by the board, all players must travel together in the team bus, with none allowed to travel separately to the training and matches; besides, another pointer stated that all players must stay in the same hotel.

"All players are expected to travel with the team to and from matches and practice sessions. Separate travel arrangements with families are discouraged to maintain discipline and team cohesion. Exceptions, if any, must be pre-approved by the head coach and Chairman of the Selection Committee," the advisory read.

"All players are required to stay for the entire duration of scheduled practice sessions and travel together to and from the venue. This rule ensures commitment and fosters a strong work ethic within the team,” it further read.

Meanwhile, the Men in Blue will depart for Dubai for the eight-team tournament in two days (on February 15), with their first game scheduled for February 20 start against Bangladesh. India will face Pakistan in the marquee clash three days later on February 23, while against New Zealand a week later (March 2).  

(With inputs from agencies)