After facing criticism on social media and by email for using the services of a polio-afflicted person, BCCI has restricted Dharamveer Pal from serving as a ball-boy. Pal, the widely-recognised polio-afflicted fan of the Indian cricket team has been a nearly permanent presence beyond the boundary line during matches for years. However, the board has allowed him to sit in the stands and watch the game. As per a report by The Indian Express, the Indian cricket board has sent a circular to all staging associations to not use such a person as a ball-boy.
During the recently-concluded series against Australia, the BCCI was tagged in tweets questioning the decision to employ physically challenged ball-boys. After this, BCCI general manager (game development) Ratnakar Shetty advised all state associations hosting India vs New Zealand and India vs Sri Lanka games next month, to not give accreditation to differently abled boys to be ball-boys.
“It has been reported that physically handicapped boys are being used as ball-boys during the international matches by the state units and we have been criticised for the same,” Shetty wrote in his letter, accessed by The Sunday Express, which was sent a few days ago. He added, “You are advised not to issue ground access pass to any physically handicapped person as ball-boys. They should be given proper seating in the stands allocated.”
Pal is well known to many Indian players as well. During his farewell Test match in Mumbai in 2013, Sachin Tendulkar took time out to meet with Dharamveer and Sudhir Kumar Gautam, the fan who paints his body in the colours of the Indian flag, and told them to keep supporting cricket. “It is because of you guys that we play. Keep supporting India. Indian cricket needs you,” Tendulkar had said. Dharamveer is from a village in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh. He was afflicted with polio when he was just 8 months old. “I was fine up to the age of 8 months, but I did not get proper polio doses around that time and both my legs got affected,” Dharamveer told The Sunday Express.
“I went to MCA and I was told that I won’t get the pass. I got a ticket from an Indian player. Mujhe match dekhne se matlab hai. (I just want to watch the match), be it from the boundary rope or from the stands. I tried to ask MCA why they are not issuing a pass and I was told that there is some new BCCI rule. I have no complaint — whatever name I have earned in India is because of cricket. I have been cheering the Indian team for years now and will continue to do so,” Dharamveer added.