The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly barred Gautam Gambhir’s personal assistant from accompanying the Indian team on its next tours.
The move comes despite the board’s tough instructions following India’s dismal performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where the team fell 1-3 to Australia. Since then, the board has imposed rigorous rules and regulations on the team and its coaching staff.
According to sources, Gautam Gambhir’s assistant, Gaurav Arora, gained access to very sensitive places reserved only for team officials, national selectors, and players.
It is also reported that Gaurav was in a car reserved exclusively for national selectors and got access to the BCCI’s hospitality box for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy’s Adelaide Test.
BCCI unhappy with Gautam Gambhir’s Personal Assistant being close to Team India
However, according to Cricblogger, the BCCI has now barred Arora from accessing such areas after a party protested about his presence in highly sensitive areas like VIP boxes, the team hotel, and the team bus.
“In response, the BCCI has barred Gambhir’s PA from staying in the same hotel as the Indian team, accessing VIP boxes in stadiums, and using the team bus. He can’t travel with the team,” Cricblogger report stated.
According to a BCCI source, the board was unhappy with Gautam Gambhir’s PA’s access to some of the private areas reserved for national selectors, coaching staff, and players. The source questioned the PA’s presence in such regions.
“Why was his PA sitting in the car specified for national selectors? They can’t even discuss things in private with an unknown third person in the car. Why was he allotted space in the BCCI’s hospitality box in Adelaide? How did he have breakfast in the cordoned-off area of a five-star facility that is just earmarked for the team members?” a BCCI source was quoted as saying by PTI earlier.
According to reports, Gaurav Arora was part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy team. He had been traveling with the Indian team in Australia regularly but will no longer be able to do so.
BCCI’s new set of guidelines
The BCCI issued a new set of guidelines for Team India following their setback in the Test series in Australia. According to the standards, the attendance of the players and coaching staff’s families will be limited from now on during a specific trip.
During a 45-day or longer tour, the players’ wives and families will be allowed to spend no more than 14 days with the team. Furthermore, families will not be permitted for the first two weeks of the tour.
If the tour is shorter than 45 days, families will be allowed for no more than one week. Aside from that, all cricketers will have to take the team bus to and from the pitch. No player will be permitted to travel independently for a training session.
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