Following the embarrassment of the Indian cricket team during the Border Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, the BCCI’s recent 10-point diktat on players has drawn worldwide veneration. These include making it mandatory for the players to play domestic cricket, limiting the stay of wives and families with the team, to a meager limit of endorsement shoots that allow them to order the house. The senior players-Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill-have returned to play in the Ranji Trophy after a long time since the passing of the diktat.
The 10 diktats require players to seek the approval of India’s coach Gautam Gambhir and selector chairman Ajit Agarkar for any relaxation, even for how long their families can stay on tour. During any overseas tours longer than 45 days, the family window has been reduced by two weeks to stay with the players, restrictions on personal staff were placed, and limitations were imposed on commercial shoots.
Michael Clarke, the World Cup-winning captain for Australia, opposed the diktats saying,”
“I think it shows how different India’s culture is to Australia’s. Because a lot of that stuff in Australia is just a no-brainer, it’s a part of being in an international set-up. For me, the first-class cricket one is absolutely brilliant. Our domestic system has been strong, and that’s mostly because whenever possible players return home and play Sheffield Shield cricket, BBL, one-day cricket, or whatever it is,” Clarke told ESPN Cricinfo.
“I don’t need to say there are some other points there, where I don’t even understand why that would be a topic for conversation, why that stuff needs to be written down in the first place.”
However, Clarke was fuzzy on one of the diktats relating to many restrictions on wives and families in Indian camps on Tours.
“That’s the only one that I found hard because in my career, we have had both sides: partners and wives not being allowed sometimes, then for the remainder of the time permitted,” he said. “The balance has always been difficult because you got some older guys, some married with kids, and then you got others who are single.”
“So, from the perspective of the team then, if the partners are not allowed to come at all, does that mean the single guy is free to bring someone back to his hotel bar and have a drink with her? Where does the balance lie? I don’t know how it’s going to work. I just think it’s a really tricky one because we do have some guys who find it really difficult to be away from home. For people with kids, it’s been really tough. I appreciate the reasoning for it; I understand the need for team culture to build that camaraderie. With cricket being so much, it’s not going to be easy for the players. Definitely, I can see why they would have made such a decision.”
