BCCI warns IPL teams over honey-trap risks, tightens hotel room access rules

MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket successful India (BCCI) has warned IPL franchises astir the dangers of ‘targeted compromise and honey-trapping’ during the league, portion simultaneously tightening security, entree and behavioural protocols astir players, enactment unit and franchise owners.

In a elaborate seven-page advisory sent to franchises connected Thursday night, BCCI caput Devajit Saikia cautioned teams against situations that could pb to ‘serious ineligible allegations’, including those related to ‘sexual misconduct’, and asked franchises to stay ‘vigilant and proactive’ astatine each times.“The BCCI draws the attraction of each Franchises to the well-documented risks of targeted compromise and honey-trapping that pervade high-profile sporting environments.

The anticipation of incidents giving emergence to superior ineligible allegations, including those nether applicable laws connected intersexual misconduct, cannot beryllium discounted. IPL franchise absorption indispensable stay vigilant and proactive successful mitigating specified risks astatine each times,” Saikia said successful the advisory.

TOI has a transcript of the seven-page guidelines issued to franchises.

Stricter edifice country entree rules

The BCCI has imposed stringent restrictions connected entree to players and enactment unit astatine squad hotels, making anterior written support from the Team Manager mandatory for immoderate outsider seeking introduction into backstage rooms.

“(a) No person, irrespective of their identity, narration to the squad member, oregon stated purpose, shall beryllium permitted introduction into a player's oregon enactment unit member's edifice country without the anterior cognition and explicit written support of the Team Manager.(b) Guests and visitors shall beryllium received exclusively successful designated nationalist areas of the hotel, specified arsenic the lobby oregon reception lounge. No impermanent shall beryllium escorted to backstage edifice rooms unless the Team Manager has specifically authorised the aforesaid successful writing,” the advisory stated.

Unauthorised departures from squad hotels flagged

The BCCI has besides expressed interest implicit players and enactment unit leaving squad hotels astatine “irregular hours” without informing designated Security Liaison Officers (SLOs) oregon Team Integrity Officers (TIOs).“Instances person been noted of players and enactment unit leaving squad hotels astatine irregular hours without informing the designated Security Liaison Officers (SLOs) oregon Team Integrity Officer (TIOs). Such departures make important information vulnerabilities and exposure individuals to risks that cannot beryllium mitigated if the applicable unit are uninformed,” Saikia said.The advisory has laid down wide question protocols:

Accreditation cards mandatory astatine each venues

The BCCI has besides taken superior enactment of definite squad members refusing oregon hesitating to show accreditation cards during information checks.“It has been brought to announcement that definite squad members person demonstrated reluctance successful presenting their accreditation cards for verification erstwhile requested by authorised information personnel. This behaviour is unacceptable and constitutes a breach of basal lawsuit information protocol,” the advisory noted.The committee has directed that:

BCCI cracks down connected owner-player enactment during matches

The advisory besides addresses what the BCCI sees arsenic repeated violations of the Player and Match Official Access (PMOA) protocol by IPL franchise owners.“The BCCI has noted that definite IPL franchise owners person not adhered to the Player and Match Official Access (PMOA) protocols during the people of matches,” Saikia wrote.“Specifically, instances person been observed of IPL franchise owners attempting to pass with, approach, hug, oregon different physically interact with players and squad members during unrecorded lucifer situations.

Such conduct, nevertheless well-intentioned, straight contravenes established protocol and whitethorn represent interference with squad dynamics and lucifer proceedings.”Under the revised directives:

Vaping and prohibited substances banned

One conception of the advisory specifically deals with “Prohibition connected Vaping and Use of Prohibited Substances.” The determination comes aft Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag was earlier fined for vaping successful the dressing country during a match.“Instances of vaping wrong the dressing country and different restricted areas of tourney venues person been brought to the BCCI's attention.

It is pertinent to enactment that the usage of vapes and physics cigarettes is prohibited nether applicable Indian law,” the advisory stated.“Any idiosyncratic recovered engaging successful specified behaviour wrong tourney premises is not lone violating BCCI and IPL regulations but whitethorn besides beryllium committing a cognisable offence nether the applicable statutory framework.”The BCCI has truthful strictly prohibited:

Team managements person besides been asked to guarantee that each players and enactment unit are “unequivocally informed” astir the ban.

Responsibilities fixed connected squad management

The advisory places nonstop work connected Team Managers and authorised franchise officials for ensuring compliance with the caller protocols.Franchises person been instructed to:

The BCCI has besides warned franchises that the IPL Operations Team whitethorn behaviour astonishment audits and inspections to measure compliance with the caller guidelines.“The BCCI / IPL Operations Team whitethorn behaviour periodic checks to measure adherence to the directives acceptable distant successful this Advisory.

Team Managers are required to support records of each approved impermanent visits and edifice movements,” Saikia wrote.The committee has further warned that immoderate usurpation volition beryllium treated arsenic a “serious disciplinary matter,” with imaginable consequences including:

“The BCCI and the IPL Governing Council privation to marque unequivocally wide that immoderate breach of the directives acceptable retired successful this Advisory shall beryllium treated arsenic a superior disciplinary matter,” the enactment added.