The Board of Control for Cricket in India on Tuesday sought to gag players from speaking about Sourav Ganguly and the issue of player burnout by warning vice-captain Virender Sehwag from speaking on these subjects to the media.
If you have apprehensions of a burnout, take rest and do not give your opinion on Ganguly, Sehwag was bluntly told by the Board.
Days after the dashing opener had said that Ganguly was "missed" by the team and that the issue of player burnout had been taken up with the Board, he was verbally warned by BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah.
"Sehwag has been warned verbally from speaking to the media on the burnout and Ganguly issue. Players cannot speak on Board policies and selection matters," Shah declared.
In carefully chosen words, Sehwag had stated in an interview to PTI that while it was the prerogative of the Board and the selectors to decide on the former skipper's future, the team sometimes missed Ganguly.
On the burnout issue, Sehwag had said skipper Rahul Dravid and he had taken up the issue of too much cricket with BCCI president Sharad Pawar when the team was in Pakistan two months ago and that the Board had promised to address the issue after the current commitments are fulfilled.
"If any player feels there is burnout, he can take rest. The Board cannot change its policy or itinerary for any player," Shah said.
"Players cannot speak on Ganguly issue also. It is a matter which concerns the selection committee. As a player you cannot give your opinion on any other player."
"The Board meets players from time to time. If they have any problem, they can take it up with us. These matters must remain between us," Shah said.
The cricketers were barred from airing their views on Ganguly-Chappell row last September after Harbhajan Singh's outburst against the coach.
According to one of the clauses of the contract with BCCI, the players are also not allowed to write columns for newspapers. Only the captain, coach and manager have been permitted to write columns.
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