India’s 15-year-old cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will use a separate changing room during the upcoming T20 series in England under International Cricket Council safeguarding regulations.
Sooryavanshi could become India’s youngest international cricketer when India face Ireland in the first T20 International in Belfast on Friday.
India will then travel to England for a five-match T20 series starting in Durham next Wednesday. The England series falls under ICC jurisdiction. Therefore, both ICC and England and Wales Cricket Board safeguarding policies will apply.
Those rules prevent players under 16 from using adult changing rooms.
As a result, Sooryavanshi will use separate changing facilities at every venue during the England series.
ICC Safeguarding Rules Trigger Special Arrangements
The restriction applies only before and after matches while players change. Sooryavanshi can still enter India’s dressing room during matches. He will also attend team meetings and tactical discussions.
The ECB said it has worked closely with the Board of Control for Cricket in India, India’s team management and host venues to implement the required arrangements.
“This is an ICC event, with their safeguarding procedures active as they have jurisdiction,” the ECB said.
“A safeguarding concern occurring during the event may (in some circumstances) be managed by the ICC. In addition to this, the ECB Safe Hands policy applies at all times.”
The ECB said the Cricket Regulator remains in contact with India’s team liaison officer.
Officials have also carried out safeguarding risk assessments at every venue.
“Each county safeguarding officer for the relevant cricket venue is also working closely with the team liaison officer to ensure venue protocols and arrangements (specifically changing room environments) are understood and adhered to.”
The ECB also confirmed that Sooryavanshi’s parents will accompany him throughout the tour.
“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.”
“This additional measure provides us with further confidence that he has family members that can provide the additional level of support and care.”
The safeguarding rules will not apply during India’s two T20 matches against Ireland because Cricket Ireland governs those fixtures.
Youngest India Debut Could Follow
If selected on Friday, Sooryavanshi will become India’s youngest international cricketer. He will surpass Sachin Tendulkar, who made his Test debut at 16 years and 205 days in 1989.
He will also become the youngest player to represent a full ICC member nation since Pakistan selected 14-year-old Hasan Raza for a One-Day International against Bangladesh in 1996.
Sooryavanshi has already played two seasons for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League. He shared dressing-room facilities with senior teammates during the IPL because those safeguarding rules do not apply to the tournament.
He finished this year’s IPL as the leading run-scorer with 776 runs. He also broke Chris Gayle’s record for the most sixes in a single IPL season after hitting 65.
Before this tour, Sooryavanshi represented India A. On Sunday, he scored 94 from 29 balls against Sri Lanka A.
His innings included a half-century from just 11 deliveries, the fastest fifty recorded in List A cricket.
The ECB said it will continue working with the BCCI and venue officials throughout the series to ensure all safeguarding measures remain in place.
