Mental health awareness is in glitzy league’s SOP

New Delhi, July 31: The BCCI is bracing up for an IPL season like no other amid discussions on having mental health awareness helpline for players and support staff and with knowledge about the challenges of staying put in a bio-secure environment for weeks.

The helpline number, if introduced, will be a part of the board’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the lucrative tournament, which will be held in the UAE from September 19.

If the need arises, such dedicated helplines could help them deal with stress and anxiety better.

The BCCI is set to release a comprehensive SOP for all eight franchises after Sunday’s Governing Council meeting where the final schedule will be passed.

A question that has been asked by a few franchises is regarding the pressure of staying away from families for a prolonged period, and the BCCI might address that in the meeting. One of the major issues will be how the BCCI deals with players’ families accompanying them for the full period. The board as well as franchises are aware that loneliness could be a big factor, especially in a high-intensity tournament like the IPL.

“If BCCI has a helpline to deal with mental health, it could be a real welcome move and also step in the right direction which is also need of the hour,” a franchise official said. It is learnt that the franchises can work around the the SOP manual which the BCCI will handover to them.