In a rare move, the BCCI has issued a strongly worded advisory pulling up IPL franchises for several violations concerning conduct, team discipline and security protocol.
In a seven-page advisory sent on Thursday to all 10 teams, the BCCI said the breaches cited could potentially "cause significant reputational harm" to the IPL, the franchise as well as the board.
While the advisory, signed by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, did not name any particular franchise, player or team official, it specifically pointed out areas of misconduct and protocol breaches that have taken place, including:
unauthorised visitors in hotel rooms
Franchise owners interacting in person with players and team officials in restricted areas during live match
Vaping at a match venue
Leaving team hotels without authorisation
"It has come to the attention of the BCCI that certain incidents of misconduct and protocol violations have occurred involving players, support staff, and team officials during the course of the current IPL season," Saikia said in the advisory, which ESPNcricinfo has accessed. "These incidents, if left unaddressed, carry the potential to cause significant reputational harm to the tournament, the franchise concerned, and the BCCI as the governing body. They may further expose individuals and franchises to legal liability and security risks of a serious nature."
The advisory comes soon after Saikia and IPL Governing Council chair Arun Dhumal had stated separately that the BCCI's anti-corruption and security watchdog had flagged various "anomalies" concerning the presence of unauthorised personnel in the team environment.
Room access - 'Risks of targeted compromise and honey-trapping'
The advisory stated that numerous instances were highlighted where "certain players and support staff members" had allowed people to access their hotel rooms without prior permission from the team manager, which is mandatory.
As per the protocol, hotel-room access requests need to be relayed via the team manager, who will authorise it and also let the ACU (Anti-Corruption Unit) team member traveling with the franchise know. "In a number of instances, the Team Manager was entirely unaware of the presence of such visitors," the advisory said.
Going forward, the BCCI said, anyone entering the player/support staff member's room would need a written approval from the team manager. This is applicable for family members, friends, or any other person. Guests and visitors, the advisory said, would be met at the hotel lobby.
The BCCI said it was important to keep the rooms and spaces used by teams at hotels out of bounds for unauthorised persons because of the damage corrupt elements have caused at various sporting events.
"BCCI draws the attention of all franchises to the well-documented risks of targeted compromise and honey-trapping that pervade high-profile sporting environments. The possibility of incidents giving rise to serious legal allegations, including those under applicable laws on sexual misconduct, cannot be discounted. IPL franchise management must remain vigilant and proactive in mitigating such risks at all times."
Owners attempting to "approach, hug, interact" with players during match
The BCCI also expressed "concern" about "certain franchise owners" attempting to interact with players or team members during a live match - which is not permitted as per the IPL protocol. Team owners are only permitted to mingle once the match is over.
"Specifically, instances have been observed of IPL franchise owners attempting to communicate with, approach, hug, or otherwise physically interact with players and team members during live match situations," the advisory said. "Such conduct, however well-intentioned, directly contravenes established protocol and may constitute interference with team dynamics and match proceedings."
Franchise owners, the BCCI said, are "strictly prohibited communicating with or physically accessing players or team officials in the dugout, dressing room, or playing area during the course of a match." The advisory cautioned the owners and their associates to not breach the Player and Match Officials Area (PMOA) protocol otherwise it would be counted as a "serious violation."
Use of vapes, e-cigarettes banned at match venues
Another serious misconduct which the advisory said the regulatory authorities had found was use of vapes and prohibited substances at the ground, including the dressing room. Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag was penalised after he admitted to his offence of vaping in the dressing room during the match against Punjab Kings in New Chandigarh last month.
Use of vapes and electronic cigarettes is prohibited in India so the BCCI warned that using them was not just breaching IPL protocol but also "committing a cognisable offence under the applicable statutory framework."
The advisory said vapes, e-cigarettes and "all prohibited substances" are banned from venues, dressing room, dugouts, team hotels and training areas.
'Risks real, foreseeable, and, if not mitigated, deeply damaging'
The BCCI has also told the franchises that it will conduct random checks on whether guidelines in the advisory are being followed.
"The BCCI and the IPL Governing Council wish to make unequivocally clear that any breach of the directives set out in this Advisory shall be treated as a serious disciplinary matter," the advisory said. The sanctions range from being issued a show-cause notice to financial penalties, suspension or disqualification from the IPL in the ongoing or even subsequent seasons.
The BCCI has also said that in cases where there are legal breaches including "use of prohibited substances, breach of security protocol, or conduct amounting to harassment," the board would direct the matter to relevant law enforcement authorities. The BCCI pointed out to franchises that the reason for issuing the advisory was not to "restrict" them but importantly "protect" all the stakeholders "from risks that are real, foreseeable, and, if not mitigated, deeply damaging."