Teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will use a separate dressing room from his India teammates during the upcoming five-match T20I series in England as part of mandatory child safeguarding regulations for under-16 players.
The arrangement, in line with guidelines laid down by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), will apply across all five venues during the series beginning in Durham on July 1. While Sooryavanshi will be allowed inside the main Indian dressing room for team meetings, tactical discussions and match-day interactions, he will change separately from the rest of the squad.
According to a report in The Guardian, the ECB said the ICC’s safeguarding procedures would be in force throughout the tour. “The Cricket Regulator is in contact with the Team Liaison Officer (TLO) for the Indian team to discuss requirements and expectations for the player while he is in the UK,” the board said.
The ECB added that safeguarding officers at each venue are working with the Indian team management to ensure all protocols are followed through risk assessments, particularly with regard to changing-room arrangements.
Sooryavanshi’s parents will accompany him throughout the tour and stay at the team’s official hotels. The BCCI had earlier confirmed that it would bear the travel and accommodation expenses of the youngster’s parents to ensure adequate support during the trip.
“It is our understanding that the player’s parents will be travelling with him at all times. They are staying in the same hotel, which is outside of usual protocol, but agreed on this occasion due to his age,” the ECB said, adding that the presence of family members would provide an additional layer of care and support.
It remains unclear whether similar arrangements will be enforced during India’s two-match T20I series against Ireland in Belfast, which precedes the England tour.
If he makes his international debut during the tour, Sooryavanshi will become India’s youngest men’s international cricketer, eclipsing the long-standing record held by Sachin Tendulkar, who debuted at the age of 16 years and 205 days.
IANS
