IPL 2022: BCCI to appoint an independent doctor to adjudicate fitness disputes between players and franchises

Bhuvneshwar Kumar pulls up his hamstring while bowling [Image- BCCI/IPLT20]

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has issued fresh guidelines regarding the fitness of players ahead of the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

According to CricBuzz, the board has stated that in case a player joins a franchisee without proper fitness, the IPL governing council would appoint a doctor to investigate if the concerned player satisfies the fitness parameters laid out by the respective franchise.

A BCCI note on player fitness disputes reads:

''In the event that, prior to the start of any season (or if a Player joins a Franchisee after the start of the Season, at the time such Player joins such Franchisee), there is a dispute between a Franchisee and any of the Franchisee's Players in connection with the ability of such Player to satisfy the conditions relating to match fitness in the Player Contract then, as per the Player Contract, BCCI shall nominate an independent and suitably qualified doctor to decide whether such Player's match fitness satisfies said conditions and whose decision shall be final in this regard."

The note added:

"If a Franchisee does not request an assessment of any of its Players' fitness at the start of the Season (or if a Player joins a Franchisee after the start seasons, and at the time such Player joins such Franchisee) then each such Player shall be deemed to be match fit in the absence of unequivocal evidence to the contrary which rendered such assessment unnecessary and any dispute between a Player and BCCI as regards such unequivocal evidence shall be decided by an independent and suitably qualified doctor nominated by BCCI.''

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BCCI intimates franchises on international players' availability, releases list of players with suspect action

Meanwhile, the BCCI has informed franchises that players from England and West Indies, who will be involved in a three-match Test series in the Caribbean, will be unavailable for the first few games of the 15th IPL season.

The Test series between England and the West Indies will take place between March 12-28. The IPL, meanwhile, is likely to get underway on March 27.

Similarly, IPL-bound players from South Africa and Bangladesh are also likely to miss the first few games of the season, as they will be busy in a three-match ODI rubber and two Test matches.

The board has also released a list of 13 players who are either banned or on the watchlist due to suspicious action. Players who have been banned from bowling include Manish Pandey, KL Shrijit and Ishank Jaggi.

Players on the watchlist include Darshan Nalkande, Vicky Ostwal, Apoorv Wankhade, Dharmendra Singh Jadeja, Sudip Chatterjee, R Samarth, Arpit Guleria, Jay Bista and Azim Kazi.