Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has issued a set of strict guidelines for centrally contracted players, aiming to ensure discipline, unity, and a positive team environment within the team. BCCI came out with these strong measures following India's disappointing performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, where they suffered a 1-3 defeat. Before Border-Gavaskar Trophy, New Zealand handed India a 3-0 clean sweep in the three-match Test series.
Notably, one of the key guidelines mandates that all India players selected for a particular series or tour must reside in the same hotel as the rest of the team. BCCI's strong diktat sparked debate, with former India's star all-rounder Irfan Pathan questioning the rationale behind this new rule, considering that players were previously permitted to stay in separate accommodations.
Irfan Pathan further said that even legendary cricketers from the past consistently stayed in the same hotel as the rest of the team during tours. It has been reported that some players have previously stayed in separate hotels with their families during tours. The BCCI has now explicitly prohibited this practice, mandating that all players reside in the designated team hotel. Not just this, the board has also instructed players to refrain from leaving practice sessions prematurely, even after completing their individual training routines.
"Even the greatest players in the past stayed in the same hotels as the rest of the Indian team. How was staying in a separate hotel allowed in the first place?" Irfan Pathan asked on X (formerly Twitter).
Right after Irfan Pathan's comments, a user pressed him to directly name Virat Kohli. However, Pathan firmly denied any intention to single out any specific player, and made it clear by stating it wasn't meant for Kohli.
"Nah, I'm not talking about Virat," Pathan further wrote.
The Indian batting lineup faced intense scrutiny following their disappointing performance in Australia. Both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma struggled throughout the tour. While Kohli scored just 190 runs across nine innings, Rohit notched just 31 runs across five innings which only compounded their batting woes.