BCCI stops Gautam Gambhir’s Personal Assistant from traveling with Team India
Table of Contents
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly stopped the personal assistant of the team's head coach Gautam Gambhir from travelling with the Indian team for the upcoming tours.
The move has come amidst the strict guidelines adopted by the board after India's disappointing performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy where the team lost to Australia 1-3. Since then, the board has come up with some strict rules and regulations for the team and the coaching staff.
Also read: "Do you even know?" Ravichandran Ashwin slams comment on Virat Kohli’s return to Ranji Trophy
BCCI stops Gautam Gambhir’s PA to travel with Team India
According to the reports, Gautam Gambhir's PA, Gaurav Arora, had received access to the highly important areas meant for only the team officials, national selectors, and players.
It is also believed that Gaurav was present in a car that was meant only for the national selectors and had also received access to BCCI's hospitality box during the Adelaide Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
However, a report from Cricblogger claimed that the BCCI has now banned Arora from accessing such areas after a section complained 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," a source was quoted as saying by CricBlogger.
BCCI unhappy with Gautam Gambhir's PA
A source in the BCCI revealed that the board wasn't pleased with the way Gautam Gambhir's PA had access to some of the private places meant for only the national selectors, coaching staff, and players. The source argued the PA's presence in such areas.
"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.
Gaurav Arora was reportedly with the team in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He was constantly traveling with the Indian team in Australia but will no longer have access to go with the team.
BCCI's new set of guidelines
The BCCI had brought up a new set of guidelines for Team India after their defeat in the Test series in Australia. According to the guidelines, the presence of the family members of the players and the coaching staff will be limited from now onwards during a particular tour.
During a tour of 45 days or more, the wives and the families of the players will be allowed for not more than 14 days to be with the team. Additionally, the families will not be allowed for the first two weeks of the tour.
If a tour is of less than 45 days, the families will be allowed for not more than a week. Apart from this, all the respective cricketers will have to travel in the team bus to and from the ground. No player will be allowed to travel separately for a training session.