At 65, Bengal Coach Arun Lal Protests BCCI’s SOP to Cap Age at 60

Bengal coach Arun Lal, 65, rejects BCCI’s SOP for domestic cricket’s return that put an age cap of 60 on all.

Among the many guidelines in the BCCI’s SOP that was shared on Sunday is an age-cap of 60 on support staff of domestic teams. This rules out many of the coaches including Bengal’s Arun Lal, 65, who has spoken out in protest of the diktat.

“The Prime Minister is 69 and he’s running the country in these times. Are they telling him to step down? Me as a person, whether I coach Bengal or not is immaterial but I will live my life. Don’t expect me that I’m 65 years old, so I will lock myself in a room for the next 30 years. This does not happen like this,” Lal told PTI in an interview.

What the BCCI’s SOP Says

Under the subheading ‘Return to Training’, the BCCI’s SOP issued to all state associations states that: “Individuals who are over the age of 60 years, viz. support staff, umpires, ground staff, and those individuals with underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, lung disease, weakened immunity, etc should be considered vulnerable and are believed to have a higher risk of severe Covid-19. All such individuals should be discouraged from participating in the camp activities until suitable guidelines are issued by the Government.”

CAB Boss Thinks This is ‘Temporary’

Under Lal, Bengal qualified for their first Ranji final appearance in 13 years earlier this year and Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) President Avishek Dalmiya believes it is only a temporary issue and one that shall be done away with post the coronavirus pandemic.

"It is presumed that the restrictions for individuals above a certain age or with underlying medical conditions mentioned in the advisory is of a temporary nature considering the current situation and taken in the interest of persons beyond a certain age for their safety. This is because the document clearly states that all such individuals should be discouraged from participating in the camp activities until suitable guidelines are issued by the Government.

"However, this may change in due course of time since in the SOP itself, it is mentioned that the guidelines may be amended from time to time as may be required depending on the existing Covid-19 situation in the country and the guidelines issued by the Government at appropriate times," he said.

(With inputs from IANS)