BCCI decides to regulate number of officials at the post-match presentations

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has put forward a major rule that will see only one representative from the state association’s behalf at the post-match presentation ceremony.  Earlier, state associations, hosting international games would showcase numerous representatives at the post-match event, but with massive sponsorship deals happening in the Indian circuit, the sponsors too, wish to have certain exposure.

Therefore, as per the new rule, if a state minister, politician or an administrator wants to be a part of the ceremony then he/she will have to take up the quota of the state association member. To add to it, an additional space can be given to BCCI functionary. The BCCI has already informed all the associations about the change. During the 3rd T20I match between India and New Zealand, KCA wanted state sports minister AC Moideen to be at the presentation ceremony, and that meant, one of the KCA office-bearer had to give up his slot.

Sponsorers to get the attention

It comes in as an encouraging change for all the sponsorers, who invest huge sum of money in the game, and they should deservingly hand over the prizes.“We have told all associations that you can nominate one person for the post-match event. It could be the chief minister, a minister or any official from that state association. There were days when we would see a long list of ministers lined up at the post-match presentation which had no meaning. That old practice has been stopped,” a board official told The Indian Express.

“We were told by BCCI that only one member can be there as MCA representative. Sharad Pawar and Ashish Shelar were both MCA office-bearers. We were clearly told that we can either allow Pawar sahab or Fadnavis,” an MCA official said.

Why will a Paytm guy want a chief minister of any state to hand over an award carrying his company’s name on his behalf? They are paying a lot of money for this. It was different in earlier days when cricket didn’t quite have these kinds of sponsors lining up, but things have drastically changed now,” the BCCI official added.