The BCCI's plan is also to ensure that two teams, be it international or IPL, aren't accommodated on the same floor of a hotel, a big ask by any standard.
Within days of the embarrassing incident of three bookies being nabbed from a Kanpur hotel – the same hotel where two Indian Premier League (IPL) teams were staying -- for accepting bets on IPL matches, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has now decided to put in place strict norms to stop recurrence of similar incidents at cricket venues.
To begin with, the BCCI intends to make it mandatory that no non-player, be it a guest or office-bearer of any cricket body, including the BCCI, or the host state association, will be allowed to stay on the same floor of the hotel where the teams are staying.
The BCCI's plan is also to ensure that two teams, be it international or IPL, aren't accommodated on the same floor of a hotel, a big ask by any standard.
A senior BCCI official confirmed the move to DNA, observing, "Having an accredited state cricket association vendor helping alleged bookies to book a room in not just the team hotel but on a same floor (17th floor) where players were also staying has severely damaged the image of IPL. That is why we are serious about barring anybody, including guests, from the same floor where a team has been put up. This rule will be enforced not just during IPL but all future international matches."
"One, we need to ensure that two teams, be it international or IPL, should not be accommodated on the same floor. And second, no outsider, be it a guest or even a Board official, should be allowed to stay on the same floor as the players to maintain the already laid decorum of keeping the game fair," said an official.
With just a game remaining in the ongoing IPL season, BCCI is likely to impose stringent rules on all the host venues during the conduct of all future international matches.
Asked if the proposal meant that the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) failed to adhere to the standard procedures laid down for matches, the BCCI functionary replied, "I can understand that the hotel in Kanpur may not be of the size to accommodate an entire team on a single floor. But then there has always been a way to tackle such a situation by reserving two floors for each team. Why was a room reserved for any outsider on the same floor is a big question that remains unanswered."
At a time when BCCI is engaged in various fights, including that of its own survival, post the Supreme Court decision following the 2013 spot-fixing case, even the slightest of suspicions regarding credibility of a match could prove to be fatal.
"We have an Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) in place to deal with any such situation. But then it's the responsibility of the local association to also ensure that rules are followed in toto to ensure fair game of cricket.
Now, we're being told that three bookies were arrested with huge cash from a room booked by á UPCA insider -- Ramesh Kumar, a local UPCA accredited vendor. This has come as a big jolt to all of us," added the official.
DNA had last week first reported how three bookies were arrested from Kanpur's Hotel Landmark Room No 1733 by local police. The CCTV footage also shows two leading players of Gujarat Lions, who were earlier part of suspended Chennai Super Kings, in the company of alleged bookie Bunty Khandelwal before the game against Delhi Daredevils.
ACSU chief to meet COA
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (COA) on Saturday summoned ACSU chief and former Delhi's police commissioner Neeraj Kumar to get first hand information about Kanpur incident.
Though Kumar has been denying involvement of any team player in the betting scandal but has not come out publicly why kingpin of Kanpur fiasco Bunty was allowed to flee before the police raid.
Analysis
No outsider, including the cricket associations’ members, should be allowed to stay in the same floor
Both teams should be put on different floors of any hotel during a game
ACSU and police should ensure only authorised people are allowed on the floors
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