BCCI warns franchises of honey trap

The BCCI on Thursday issued an eight-page directive for the 10 IPL franchises flagging off concerns about some serious breaches of protocols while setting Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) which will need to be strictly adhered to in near future.

“The advisory has been issued in light of certain incidents observed during ongoing season and is intended to reinforce the standards of professionalism, discipline, security awareness and protocol compliance expected from all stakeholders associated with IPL,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia wrote to CEOs of 10 franchises, a copy of which is in possession of PTI.

The eight-page documents sets the record straight while pointing out about the breaches that has been reported by the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) of BCCI.

In the ‘Preamble’, Saikia writes: “It has come to the attention of the BCCI that certain incidents of misconduct and protocol violation have occured involving players and support staff and team officials during the course of the current IPL season. These incidents if left unaddressed, carry the potential to cause significant reputational harm to the tournament, the Franchise concerned and the BCCI as the Governing Body. They may further expose individuals and franchises to legal liability and security risks of serious nature.”

One of the major concerns has been visits from “unauthorized persons” in players’ hotel rooms.

The document states: “It has been observed that certain players and support staff members have permitted unauthorised persons to access their hotel rooms without the knowledge or approval of the concerned IPL franchise Team Manager.

In a number of instances, Team Manager was entirely unaware of the presence of such visitors. The practice is strictly prohibited with immediate effect.

All players and support also got a three-point diktat that needed to be followed.

a) No person irrespective of their identity, relationship to team member or stated purpose shall be permitted entry into player’s or support staff member’s hotel room without prior knowledge and explicit written approval from Team Manager.

b) Guests and visitors shall be received exclusively in designated public areas of hotel such as lobby or hotel reception lounge. No guest shall be escorted to private hotel rooms unless Team Manager has specifically authorised the same in writing.

c) The BCCI draws attention to all Franchises to the well-documented risks of targeted compromise and honey-trapping that pervade high-profile sporting environments. The possibility of incidents giving rise to serious legal allegations, including those under applicable Indian laws on sexual misconduct, cannot be discounted. IPL franchises must remain vigilant and proactive in mitigating such risks at all times.

Strict Adherence expected from Franchise Owners

The document also highlights the breaches by unnamed team owners who has not maintained the sanctity of Players’ And Match Officials Access (PMOA).

“The BCCI has noted with concern that certain IPL franchise owners have not adhered to the Players and Match Officials Access (PMOA) protocol during the course of the matches. Specifically instances have been observed of IPL franchises owners attempting to communicate with, approach, hug, or otherwise physically interact with players during live match situations. Such conduct, however well-intentioned, directly contravenes established protocol and may constitute interference with team dynamics and match proceedings.

Due to this breach, there is also a three-point guideline for the owners

a) IPL franchise owners and their representatives are strictly prohibited from communicating with or physically accessing players or team officials in the dugout, dressing room or playing area during course of the match, except through designated and approved channels.

b) All franchise owner level access to restricted zones must strictly conform to the PMOA Protocol as communicated by the IPL operations Divisions. Any deviation shall be treated as serious violation.

c) Franchise management is responsible for ensuring that IPL franchise owners and their associates are fully briefed on applicable protocols prior to each match day.

Prohibition on Vaping and Use of Prohibited Substances.

Assam cricketer and Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag’s vaping in the dressing room balcony during a match has brought a lot of disrepute not just for the franchise but also for the BCCI.

Without naming Riyan, Saikia wrote: “Instances of vaping within dressing room and other restricted areas of tournament venues have been brought to BCCI’s attention. It is pertinent to note that vapes and electronic cigarettes is prohibited under applicable Indian Law. Any individual found engaging in such conduct within tournament premises is not only violating BCCI and IPL regulations but may also be committing a cognisable offence under applicable statutory framework.

“Accordingly, the use of vapes, e-cigarettes, and all prohibited substances is strictly banned within all IPL tournament venues, including dressing rooms, dugouts, team hotels and practice facilities.”