‘Is a single guy allowed to bring someone back to the hotel bar?’: Michael Clarke in BCCI Diktat

Last update:January 22, 2025, 4:44 pm EST

Michael Clarke believes that the BCCI may struggle to find the right “balance” for each Indian player in his home time dictate.

Former Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke (photo: ISAAC LAWRENCE / AFP)

Michael Clarke has said that the new diktat by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) limiting the family time of Indian cricketers could be a “sensitive” topic for several players who cannot be left alone away from home. He said it’s always difficult to find “balance” on this issue when players of different ages are playing.

The BCCI says players can only stay with their family for 15 days in every 45 days of the tour. This and other stringent guidelines came into force after India lost 3-1 to Australia in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Although the BCCI has not made them public, they have been leaked on social media platforms.

“This one was difficult for me because throughout my career we’ve played both sides and players and wives and partners were only allowed sometimes, not allowed other times, and then allowed all the time,” Clarke said on ESPN’s Around the Wicket. The balance was difficult. There are older men, married with children, and there are also singles.”

“So from a team perspective, if partners can’t come all the time, can a single guy bring someone back to the hotel bar and have a drink with her? Where is the balance? I don’t know how this will work. I just think it’s a really sensitive topic because some people find it harder to be away from home,” added the former Australia captain.

Indian captain Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar did not directly address the issue in a recent press conference.

Shows that Indian culture is very different from Australia: Clarke

Another important point of the diktat was the demand that international stars should feature in domestic cricket during every Indian break. Clarke wondered why the BCCI had to write it down and said it was different from Australian culture.

“It shows that Indian culture is very different from Australian culture. Because a lot of these things about the Australian team are obvious and obvious within the confines of playing internationally. First-class cricket, for example, I think it’s great. Our domestic system is strong and that’s because players tend to come back when they can and play Sheffield Shield Cricket, BBL, One-Day, whatever it is,” Clarke said.

“There are other points where I don’t know why it’s even a conversation, I don’t know why it needs to be in writing,” he added.

India’s next tour will be to the UAE in February for the 2025 Champions Cup, followed by five Tests in England in June.