BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia on Friday declared that the national board has no obligation to inform state units when players return home, directly contradicting Assam Cricket Association (ACA) President Taranga Gogoi’s earlier claim that the ACA was kept in the dark about Uma Chetry’s arrival.
Speaking at a press conference at Barsapara Stadium, Saikia dismissed the controversy over the World Cup-winning wicketkeeper’s midnight landing at Guwahati airport without a formal welcome, saying, “There is no rule and this is not mandatory from the BCCI that they would inform the state cricket association when the players would come or go home. This is not necessary.”
Saikia said that the Indian team’s travel plans were repeatedly changed at the last minute. “The entire team was scheduled to return home on November 5 via commercial flights. But they were called to Delhi on a chartered flight to meet Prime Minister Modi. Then the President wanted to meet them, so we extended their stay by one more night till November 6,” he said. 
He added that players from Maharashtra were later sent to Mumbai to meet their Chief Minister, while Uma Chetry was routed to Guwahati and then Bokakhat.
“Even BCCI did not know when our own players would go home. Uma Chetry also did not know when she would come home. This decision to send her from Delhi to Guwahati was taken at the last moment. She arrived on a midnight flight,” Saikia said.
Dismissing any fault on the ACA’s part, he said three ACA officials were present at the airport. “This is not the responsibility of the ACA to bring 200-300 people. Their role is to develop cricket and conduct matches — and they are doing that,” he said.
Saikia also invoked the recent death of singer Zubeen Garg on September 19, saying, “Since I was appointed on September 28, just 10 days after the incident, I had clearly instructed the ACA that there should be no fanfare or celebrations. Even today, they are following the same. If the ACA had brought a Bihu team and done fanfare, people would have blamed us for celebrating during a time of grief.”
