Mike Hesson Warns RCB Players Of Harsh Consequences If Deliberately Breached The Bio-Secure Bubble

Royal Challengers Bangalore’s director of cricket Mike Hesson and head coach Simon Katich attended the virtual meeting alongside the team players. Captain Virat Kohli repeatedly stressed on the importance of following the COVID-19 protocols, sending a strong message to the rest of the group. Meanwhile, Mike Hesson warned against willfully breaking the rules and regulations.

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RCB’s Indian players landed in the UAE on Saturday while the South African recruits in Ab de Villiers, Dale Steyn, and Chris Morris appeared a day later. Currently, the athletes are serving the mandatory quarantine period while also working on their fitness. The Virat Kohli-led side finished last in 2019, managing only five victories out of 14 games.

Mike Hesson mentioned that the BCCI has prepared a document, which is part of their contract. If any player deliberately breaches the rules and regulations stated in it, then they must be prepared for severe consequences. On the other hand, if the violation is accidental, then the player will face removal from the bubble for one week and undergo repeated COVID-19 tests before returning to the environment.

“We have a document the BCCI have written, which is basically part of your contract. “If there’s a breach of the bubble, if it’s a wilful act, then that becomes a contractual issue between the player and RCB; it will be dealt with very seriously. If the violation of the protocol is “accidental”, Hesson further addressed, then the the player will be removed from the team bubble for period of one week and will have “to repeat their [covid] tests before they’re allowed into the bubble again,” the Dunedin-born cricketer stated as quoted by ANI news.com.

“Every player from every team will need to sign a document which basically explains the consequences around that” : Mike Hesson

The former New Zealand head coach iterated Kohli’s point as he mentioned of the entire tournament being in danger if even one player commits a mistake. As part of the agreement, every player must sign a contract, which underlines the consequences of breaching.

“As you [Kohli] alluded to, if there’s somebody who breaks this bubble, that we’ve worked incredibly hard to ascertain and put in place, it affects the whole tournament. It’s not just RCB, it’s actually the tournament, the TV rights. There will be strong consequences if players choose to do that. Every player from every team will need to sign a document which basically explains the consequences around that,” Hesson added.

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