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MUMBAI: On Tuesday, the BCCI announced that Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya have been selected for the series against Afghanistan, subject to fitness clearance by the BCCI. Ace fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah (workload management) and senior left-arm spinning allrounders Ravindra Jadeja (injured) and Axar Patel have been rested from the series. There have been reports that ‘mystery spinner’ Varun Chakaravarthy has been bowling for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL despite having fractured his toe, while there has been some ambiguity over whether Punjab Kings left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh has been carrying a niggle. The injuries and burnout of the India players have forced the selectors to rest a few regulars for the short home series against Afghanistan, comprising a one-off Test and three ODIs, have again triggered a long-standing argument: Can, or should the BCCI ‘control’ the workload of the Board’s centrally-contracted players during the IPL?BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told TOI on Wednesday that the “BCCI can’t micro manage the workload and fitness of the players during the IPL.”“We can’t micro-manage the workload and fitness of the players during the IPL, because otherwise, it will be interference in the functioning of the franchises by the BCCI regarding the activities of their teams and players,” Saikia told this paper from Guwahati. Clarifying the protocols with regard to injury management for centrally contracted players when playing in the IPL, Saikia had 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.” “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,” Saikia stated.
