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New Delhi: India opener Gautam Gambhir has suggested heavy fines for IPL franchises in case they are unable to control the conduct of their players in the cash-rich Twenty20 league.
“Somewhere down the line franchises need to control these things. A certain player from a certain team does these things, the franchise needs to be fined and it has to be fined heavily,” Gambhir said.
Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Luke Pomersbach was accused of misconduct by an American national during the just-concluded fifth edition of the IPL.
Gambhir, who captained the Kolkata Knight Riders to their maiden triumph, defended the BCCI as far as preventing players from getting embroiled in off-field controversies are concerned.
“It is the responsibility of the franchise to control its players. BCCI can’t appoint one person each to keep a watch over every player,” Gambhir told a TV channel.
“Franchises should impose a curfew on players who have a history of binge drinking and have got into trouble in the past and they should be sent back to their rooms.”
The IPL also faced allegations of spot-fixing and black money leading BJP MP and former India cricketer Kirti Azad to demand a ban on the league.
“We keep blaming the BCCI and the IPL for all these things. A lot of these things can be sorted out if the franchise is strong enough. Whatever we sign for is given, and nothing is given under the table.”
On the demand for a ban, Gambhir said: “I am sure there are a number of other issues for Parliament to debate than the IPL.”
On KKR’s triumph, Gambhir said: “In the last three years, KKR has been known too much for what happened off the cricket field. I wanted to change that.
“The one thing I cannot do is dance for SRK. SRK has succeeded in everything, the only thing he has failed to do is make me dance. And I hope he will not try again.”
On his team, he said: “It’s basically about sticking to the core group of players. I have been asked various times this season why I keep playing certain players. I believe in sticking to core group of players.”
“It’s about showing trust in the players who are in your dressing room. It’s not about chopping and changing because that takes a team nowhere.
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