Harsha Bhogle, a prominent voice in cricket commentary, has suggested that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) enforce stricter regulations by banning Indian team members from engaging PR agencies. This recommendation came amid reports of sweeping changes the BCCI is reportedly planning for the Indian team.
Bhogle, reacting to these developments, tweeted: "Reading of the changes the BCCI is apparently suggesting for the Indian team. I don't know how much to believe but if I had to nominate one rule to be strictly applied, it would be to ban team members from having PR agencies."
Earlier today, India Today reported that BCCI had decided to curb family time for the Indian players on international tours. The move comes after humiliating Test series losses against New Zealand and Australia under the duo of Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir.
The suggestion to curb family time for the Indian team has come from head coach Gautam Gambhir himself, sources told India Today. Sources said that Gambhir wants to root out the indiscipline in the Indian team and suggested that family time be limited on both short and long tours.
As per the new guidelines, families of players will only be allowed to stay with them for a maximum of 14 days during tournaments lasting 45 days or more. For shorter tours, the duration of family stays will be limited to one week.
The decision follows a review meeting led by Gambhir, where concerns about indiscipline in the Indian dressing room were raised in the wake of the Border-Gavaskar series loss. "Gautam Gambhir, during the review meeting, spoke about indiscipline in the Indian dressing room following the loss in the Border-Gavaskar series. Indiscipline is the reason why the BCCI is reverting to pre-COVID rules, allowing two weeks of family presence on tour," a source told The Mast Head.
Gambhir also emphasised the need for stricter oversight of junior players. Reports suggest that during the Australian tour, many senior and junior cricketers went out for dinners, with only one team dinner taking place during the tour spanning November 2024 to January 2025.
Another key discussion during the meeting was the suggestion to link players' match fees to their performance. A senior Indian player proposed this change to ensure greater commitment to domestic and national team responsibilities.
"One senior player, who was present at the meeting, suggested to the BCCI that the match fee should not be distributed immediately. Instead, players' performance should be considered before disbursing the fee, as some players are not prioritising domestic and national team commitments," the source added.
(With inputs from Nitin Kumar Srivastava)