After outclassing Pakistan in their first Super 12 tie at the T20 World Cup 2022 at MCG, Team India arrived in Sydney for their next game. They are scheduled to face the Netherlands on Thursday at the Sydney Cricket Ground. But ahead of the face-off, it has been learned that the team is facing several issues with the hospitality during their stay in the city.
According to news agency PTI, the Indian cricket team wasn’t exactly pleased with the after-practice menu on Tuesday and a few members decided to have food back in their hotel rooms. It is understood that the after-practice menu is almost the same for all teams and Indian players are not being provided with hot food, which according to BCCI sources is a must after an intense training session.
The Indian team had an optional training session on Tuesday where all the fast bowlers were rested alongside all-rounder Hardik Pandya, batter Suryakumar Yadav, and spinner Axar Patel. With the training getting over nearly by afternoon, it was lunch time and perhaps players were expecting a full-course meal.
It is learned that the after-practice food included custom sandwiches along with fruits and falafel.
“It’s not like any boycott… Some players did pick up fruits and falafel but everyone wanted to have lunch and hence they had food going back to the hotel,” a BCCI official, privy to the development, was quoted as saying by the agency.
“The problem is that the ICC isn’t providing any hot food after lunch. In a bilateral series, the host association is in charge of catering, and they always provide hot Indian meals after a training session. But for ICC, the rule is the same for all countries.
“You can’t just have a cold sandwich (not even grilled) with avocado, tomato, and cucumber after two hours of training. That is plain and simple inadequate nourishment,” he added.
