'The BCCI doesn't advise its players what and what not to eat' - Arun Dhumal on latest dietary plan reports

In the recent turn of events, reports emerged that the Indian team has been directed with a specific diet plan ahead of their two-match Test series against New Zealand. The reports stated that the team has been asked to eat only halal meat and avoid beef and pork ‘whatsoever in any form and variety.’ However, BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal has rubbished all such reports.

Dhumal went on to add the board doesn’t have any role in determining the choices of what their players wish to eat. The diet plan has never ever been discussed between them and it has always been the individual choice of players to decide what they eat.

“This (diet plan) has never been discussed and will not be enforced. I don’t know when this decision was taken or if it was. As far as I know, we never issued any guidelines related to diet plans. As far as food habits are concerned, it is the individual choice of players, BCCI has no role in it,” said Dhumal as quoted by India Today.

This halal issue has never been brought to BCCI’s attention: Arun Dhumal

Stretching further on the recent reports, Dhumal clarified that the ‘halal’ thing might have happened only on a player’s feedback or that some foreign team might be there and they didn’t want the food to be mixed. However, the ‘halal’ thing has never ever been brought to BCCI’s attention. BCCI never advise its players what to eat and what not to eat, he reckoned.

“This ‘halal’ thing may have happened on any player’s feedback at some point in time. For example, if a player says he doesn’t eat beef and if a foreign team comes then the food should not be mixed. This halal issue has never been brought to BCCI’s attention. The BCCI doesn’t advise any of its players on what to eat and what not to eat. Players are free to choose their own food. Whether they want to be vegetarian, it’s their choice, whether they want to be vegan, it’s their choice, whether they want to be non-vegetarian, it’s their choice,” he added.