'Not a school, punishment..': Chief selector Ajit Agarkar breaks silence on BCCI's strict guidelines

Following the Indian cricket team's humiliating Test series defeat against Australia, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) issued a 10-point guideline. These principles aim to promote team cohesiveness and performance by restricting the duration of family visits on overseas trips, prohibiting personal staff from accompanying players, and emphasising the importance of domestic cricket.

While announcing the Champions Trophy squad, chief selector Ajit Agarkar addressed queries about the 10-point mandate and explained the reasons behind the restrictions. Agarkar emphasised that these modifications were made in the best interests of the players, with the goal of promoting team unity and strengthening connections among teammates.

"I think every team has some rules in place. We have spoken about various things you see over the last few months where we can improve as a team and get a bit closer as a team. We have seen in the last few months the need for some changes, more bonding in the team," Agarkar said.

“It's not a school, it's not a punishment. It's just you have some rules and when you are playing for the national team, you just follow the rules. These are mature individuals. They are superstars in their own right in international sport. They know how to handle themselves," he added.

"But, at the end of the day, you're eventually representing your country and there are certain things that you inherently follow as every team does. I think a lot of them have been in place, maybe we've spoken about it now and it has been put out but a lot of them have been in place in any case. You keep on refining it as you go along, eventually what suits the team, you want to try and do that,” he concluded.

If a player fails to comply, they may face sanctions including as suspension from the Indian Premier League and a reduction in their yearly contract retainer and match costs. Any deviations to this regulation require prior clearance from the head coach and chief selector, as mentioned in the Team India policy manual.

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