Domestic Cricketers Complain Of Being Served Substandard Food

Some of the cricketers in quarantine ahead of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy here are complaining of not being served quality food fit for cricketers despite being stationed in a five-star hotel.

The league phase of the tournament, which begins on January 10, will be held across six cities. The Elite Group E's six teams comprising Mumbai, Delhi, Andhra, Kerala, Puducherry and Haryana will play their games in Mumbai's two grounds, Wankhede Stadium and Bandra Kurla Complex.

While Mumbai, Delhi and Kerala have been stationed at the Trident Hotel, Haryana, Kerala and Puducherry are in Sofitel Mumbai BKC.

"The food has been really bad. We were given something like a railway coach thali. The food is sometimes cold, not fresh and unfit for cricketers. Many of the players are not even eating it. We have lodged a complaint about the food. None of the teams is entirely happy," a player told IANS on condition of anonymity about the food served to cricketers at The Trident.

"There are some who have ordered room service but it is not possible for everyone. For one person's meal, the bill can run up to Rs 2000-Rs 2200. It can be managed by those who have had IPL contracts, played for India or been around for a while. But there are many who are coming here for the first time or who don't have money enough to spare for this. They have to make do with whatever they are getting. But that is, I am afraid, not good or healthy enough."

A player gets Rs 17,500 for a Mushtaq Ali Trophy game. Each of the players in Mumbai leg can play a maximum of five games in the league phase. In times of Covid-19, when the first-class season looked to be a curtailed one with uncertainty over the four-day Ranji Trophy format, where players get a majority of their earning at Rs 35,000 a day, any hole in the pocket can hurt.

A couple of players, however, told IANS that things have improved after the first couple of days when it was really bad.

The teams are in quarantine till January 6.

On Monday, a leading national daily had quoted a player as saying, "The roti has been like papad. They are serving rice which many players don't eat, especially fast bowlers. They fear they could gain weight with this food. We need at least an egg or one grilled chicken."