NEW DELHI: During a press conference in Mumbai on Saturday, India captain Rohit Sharma and men’s selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar announced the 15-member squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy. Prior to the start of the conference, cameras captured a private conversation between Rohit and Agarkar, which later went viral on social media.
In the footage, Rohit can be heard discussing new guidelines with Agarkar, mentioning an upcoming meeting with the BCCI secretary. The conversation also highlighted players’ concerns about the guidelines.
“Ab mere ko baithna padega secretary ke saath. Family, wamily ka discuss karne ke liye, sab mere ko bol rahe hai yaar [Now I will have to sit with the secretary to discuss family, family matters, everyone is telling me],” Rohit was recorded saying to Agarkar in the viral video.
A 10-point guideline was recently released following India’s series defeat to Australia earlier this month.
One of the key points of contention in the policy document is a return to the old system, where families are allowed to join players only for 14 days on long tours. Any deviation from this would require approval from coach Gambhir.
When Rohit was asked about the new guidelines, he responded, “Who told you about these rules? Has it come from the official handle of the BCCI? Let it come officially.” However, Agarkar confirmed that an SOP had indeed been drafted.
Agarkar was asked why, just six months after winning the T20 World Cup with the same set of players, the BCCI felt the need to introduce a travel policy document. Agarkar, who was also part of the review committee that discussed the Australia debacle, said, “We’ll probably talk about it endlessly if we keep going on.”
He continued, “I suppose every team has some rules in place. We’ve spoken about various things you see over the last few months where you can improve as a team, where you can get a bit closer as a team. It’s not a school. It’s not a punishment,” he explained, attempting to rationalize the decision.
“It’s just (that) you have some rules in place and when you’re playing for the national team, you just follow those rules. Again, these are mature individuals. They are superstars in their own rights in international sport.”
Many former players have described these rules as long-standing, with Agarkar calling them protocols that must be followed when representing the national team.
