Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has opened up about the new guidelines set by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the country’s centrally contracted players. The instructions come after India’s shock defeat by Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Although there are many guidelines for the players, one of them is to stay in the same hotel to strengthen the unity in the team. Pathan claimed that even the greatest of players followed this rule and argued how a player is allowed to stay at a different place. When a user asked Pathan to immediately name Virat Kohli, he flatly denied it.
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Irfan Pathan breaks his silence on BCCI’s new rules for Team India
Irfan Pathan took to social media to discuss the new rules and regulations brought in by the BCCI. He claimed how players were allowed to stay in a different hotel when the best players had not broken the rules.
“Even the best players in the past stayed in the same hotels as the rest of the Indian team. How come they were allowed to stay in a separate hotel in the first place?” asked Irfan Pathan on X (formerly Twitter).
Even the best players used to stay in the same hotels as the rest of the Indian team. How was staying in a separate hotel originally allowed?
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) January 17, 2025
It should be noted that some of the players have stayed in separate hotels with their respective families during a particular tour. However, BCCI wants all the players to stay in the same place from now on.
Irfan Pathan denies taking Virat Kohli’s name
A user on X replied to Irfan Pathan’s post and asked him to reveal Virat Kohli’s name without hesitation. However, Pathan clearly responded by saying that he was not talking about Kohli.
“Well, I’m not talking about Virat (Kohli),” Pathan replied.
Nah, I’m not talking about Virat.
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) January 17, 2025
Although unconfirmed, some of the team’s senior players have been found guilty of being separated from their families citing their mental well-being. However, India’s poor performance in Australia prompted the BCCI to take stricter action against them.
BCCI issues new guidelines
The BCCI issued a series of directives that came after a disastrous tour of Australia. The board has made participation in domestic tournaments mandatory for selection.
The guideline also includes rules for family travel, baggage allowance and personal staff restrictions. If a player does not follow these guidelines, strict action will be taken against him, which also includes ban from the cash-rich Indian Premier League.
If a player has an emergency, he will have to give permission from coach Gautam Gambhir and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar. Young players like Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant have already confirmed their availability for the next Ranji match but the status of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma is still unclear.
