Will IPL teams allow over-worked India players respite?

According to Delhi Daredevils’ CEO, the BCCI has not given franchises any directive over players’ workload management.

The BCCI and the Indian team management are keeping a tab on workload management of national team players but there has been no specific directive for the IPL franchises as yet, said Delhi Capitals CEO Dheeraj Malhotra on Friday.

Malhotra, who has worked as a general manager with the BCCI, said that the National Cricket Academy (NCA) has shared a detailed workload monitoring report of all the Indian players associated with respective franchises, which obviously helps the IPL team's medical unit to work in cohesion with the parent body.

Asked if there is a specific directive on workload management of World Cup prospects, Malhotra told PTI: "Not yet. What NCA has done is, it sent a report on all the contracted players.

"We have Axar, Kuldeep and Prithvi. They have given us what they have been doing and what their workload has been. But we still have not been given a directive on what they want from us and what the workload should be for players."

In fact, it is learnt that no franchise will get any directive on India players unless someone is carrying an injury.

"Tell me one thing, in the absence of Jassi (Jasprit Bumrah), Mohammed Shami is your pace spearhead going into the World Cup. Now if Gujarat Titans again play the final, then he (Shami) might have to bowl a maximum of 64 overs (16 games).

"Suppose NCA says that Shami should be used for 40 overs at the max, what is the guarantee that he won't pull a hammy (hamstring)? Can you give it in writing?" a franchise coach, not wanting to be named, counter questioned.

For a World Cup scheduled in October-November, one cannot ask a private franchise that is paying crores to the players to put in percentage effort. Skipper Rohit Sharma had recently said it will depend on an individual if he wants a break or not.

"They (players) are all adults. So they have to look after their body and just if they feel that it's getting a little too much, they can always talk about it and have a break in one or two games. I doubt (if) that will happen but...," Rohit had said after the third ODI against Australia.

The skipper had also admitted that it will be a franchise's call how they want to use the players.

"It's all up to the franchises now. The franchises own them (the players) now, so we've given some indications or some kind of borderline kind of thing to the teams.

"At the end of the day it's up to the franchise and, most importantly, it's the players, they have to take care of their own body."