The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Tuesday that Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya have been selected for the upcoming series against Afghanistan, subject to fitness clearance. Meanwhile, ace fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been rested due to workload management, while senior left-arm spinning allrounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel have been sidelined due to injury and rest, respectively.
Injury Concerns and Player Burnout
Reports indicate that Kolkata Knight Riders' mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has been bowling in the Indian Premier League despite a fractured toe. Additionally, there is ambiguity over whether Punjab Kings left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh is carrying a niggle. These injury and burnout issues have forced the selectors to rest several regulars for the short home series against Afghanistan, which includes a one-off Test and three One-Day Internationals. This has reignited a long-standing debate: can or should the BCCI control the workload of its centrally-contracted players during the IPL?
BCCI Secretary's Clarification
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told the Times of India on Wednesday that the board cannot micro-manage the workload and fitness of players during the IPL. "We can't micro-manage the workload and fitness of the players during the IPL, because otherwise it would be interference in the functioning of the franchises by the BCCI regarding the activities of their teams and players," Saikia stated from Guwahati.
Clarifying the protocols for injury management of centrally contracted players in the IPL, Saikia said during a virtual press conference on Tuesday, "So far as the IPL is concerned, the franchisees do take care of the injuries and the fitness of the players. Of course, our physios from the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru are also monitoring them, giving them the workload as well as the plan for how to keep them fit. So, there is monitoring, but we cannot interfere too much when the IPL is going on."
He added, "Had it been the Indian team's situation, our control would have been more. Now, we are giving that freedom to the franchisees to take a call on their players, and we definitely look into their fitness level when it comes to selecting the national team."
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