Beer and the beach may well be an integral part of the Caribbean lifestyle. But some of India’s young cricketers posting pictures on their social media handles while relaxing on the beach with beer in their hands hasn’t gone down too well with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Two days after some of the cricketers posted their images with a pint of beer in their hand during a day’s outing at St. Nevis, a popular beach, the BCCI has sent an advisory to the team through team manager Riyaz Bagwan. The outing was organised in between the two tour games the Indian team is featuring in, ahead of the first Test, scheduled for July 21.
“Some of the BCCI officials aren’t happy with players posting such images on social media. There has been no written communication, but the manager has been asked to send a message to the players to ensure that nothing that could set a bad example should be posted online,” a BCCI insider told The Hindu on Thursday.
The picture that has been creating waves on social media features K.L. Rahul, the Karnataka top-order batsman with a beer pint in his hand, posing with all-rounder Stuart Binny, speedster Umesh Yadav and a support staff member. Ever since the diktat was passed, the players have deleted it the image from their official handles.
In the 21st century, an urban Indian being pulled up for carrying a pint of beer in public may seem frivolous to many. But, the BCCI hierarchy feels the cricketers should behave as role models. “Many kids blindly follow the star cricketers’ actions on and off the field, so our boys have got to always keep that in mind. They should always consider the sense and sensitivities of Indian cricket fans,” said another BCCI official, preferring anonymity.
