We Haven't Passed Any Information To Any Team With Regards To Workload Management: BCCI

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said they haven’t passed any information to any of the IPL team to manage the Indian player’s workload.

IPL 2021 resumed this week with the presence of fans, in limited numbers, in the stands in the United Arab Emirates.

Just after the completion of IPL 2021, the ICC T20 World Cup will commence within a week and most of the players participating in the mega event are already present in the cash-rich league.

No diktat from the BCCI on player’s workload management

Some franchises like Mumbai Indians are making sure that the Indian players get sufficient rest in order to manage their long workload. But a BCCI official has clearly mentioned that no such directions were given by the board and it is the franchise’s sole decision.

“We haven’t passed any information to any team with regards to workload management. If a player is rested, it has to be the call of the franchise and the player. Also, the franchises know how to take care of their players,” a BCCI official told news agency ANI. 

“It is very hot and the humidity can sometimes get to even the fittest player in the team. So, we are looking to rotate some of the players with an eye on workload management. Players are always the priority and everyone is on the same page when it comes to this.

“But no, no diktat from the BCCI on this and honestly they also know it isn’t needed as franchises have always worked closely with the board in ensuring players are in top shape while playing the league,” one of the official said. 

We are balancing the needs of our team along with the needs of Team India as well: Shane Bond

In the first match between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya were missing in the defending champions’ team. Pandya also missed the last game against Kolkata Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi.

Mumbai Indians bowling coach Shane Bond said that the team is managing players not only from their point of view but also keeping the Indian national team in mind.

“Hardik is training well. He trained today (Thursday) and he is getting closer to playing. We are balancing the needs of our team along with the needs of Team India as well. This franchise looks after its players. We are hopeful that Hardik will be back for the next match, he trained well on Thursday,” Bond said during a post-match virtual press conference.

“It is not a hard directive, you have a duty towards the players. You have to look after them, like anything you have to balance everything and you have to balance what the player wants. One thing our franchise does is look after our players. There is no point in rushing him back, you do not want him to get injured and miss the rest of the tournament when we have a chance to win it,” he added.

Mumbai Indians will play Royal Challengers Bangalore in their next match on September 26 in Dubai.

Also Read: Mumbai Indians Head Coach Mahela Jayawardene Explains Why Hardik Pandya Missed CSK Match