IPL franchise seeks crackdown on players’ girlfriends, unauthorised access

A girlfriend of an IPL cricketer, who was allegedly caught twice passing on team information to outsiders, may have been one of the reasons behind the BCCI enforcing a fresh advisory for players and support staff, sources told CricBlogger.

It is also reliably learnt that after discovering the anomaly, the franchise owner immediately got in touch with the board, seeking the prompt release of a detailed list of dos and don’ts for the entire cricketing fraternity.

Sources said that the franchise has even demanded restrictions on girlfriends and any other loose cannons who could potentially jeopardise the integrity of the game. Whether the BCCI can blatantly ban girlfriends isn’t clear, but stricter rules to ensure that sensitive team information remains protected are almost certain to come into play.

With some of the leading cricketers allegedly caught smoking vapes, the board is also taking steps to curb such unlawful activities, along with restricting the entry of unauthorised individuals that could compromise the sanctity of the game.

“The Indian cricket board has taken the matter very seriously, and those associated with the teams should strictly adhere to all the protocols laid down for them,” another source said, while adding that there should not be any restrictions on families travelling with the team.