Vaibhav Sooryavanshi safeguarding rules explained: Why Indian teenager gets separate changing room for England series
Under ICC and ECB safeguarding procedures, 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is legally prohibited from using adult changing rooms on India's tour of England.
India's young batting prodigy, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, will need to use separate changing facilities once his tour shifts to England this summer. It is a measure put in place purely for child protection purposes.
The 15-year-old is on the cusp of a historic milestone, as he is set to become India's youngest-ever international cricketer when he potentially features in Friday's T20I against Ireland in Belfast, before the squad moves on to a five-match T20 series against England that opens in Durham the following Wednesday.
Sachin Tendulkar currently holds the long-standing record, having made his Test debut back in 1989 at 16 years and 205 days. Sooryavanshi's potential debut would make him the youngest player to represent a full ICC member nation since Pakistan handed a one-day cap to 14-year-old Hasan Raza against Bangladesh back in 1996.
The upcoming series against England falls under ICC jurisdiction. The safeguarding rules will kick in alongside those enforced by the England and Wales Cricket Board.
According to The Guardian, both bodies bar players under 16 from sharing changing spaces with adults, meaning Sooryavanshi will be given his own facilities at every venue on the tour.
His parents are expected to travel with him throughout, and importantly, the restriction only applies during the actual process of changing before and after matches. However, he remains free to sit in on team talks and be present in the Indian dressing room during the match itself.
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The ECB confirmed it is working in close coordination with the BCCI and all five venues hosting the T20 series to make sure proper safeguards are in place.
In an official statement, the board explained that since this is an ICC event, the council's own safeguarding rules take precedence, while the ECB's Safe Hands policy remains active at all times regardless.
“This is an ICC event, with their safeguarding procedures active as they have jurisdiction,” the ECB confirmed to The Guardian. “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 Cricket Regulator is in contact with the team liaison officer for the Indian team to discuss requirements and expectations for the player while he is in the UK.
“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. This is conducted via safeguarding risk assessments."
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The board also confirmed that Sooryavanshi's parents will be staying at the same hotel as the squad throughout the tour. It is an exception to usual arrangements granted specifically because of Sooryavanshi's age.
“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.”
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India's white-ball tour of England, beginning with the first of the five T20Is at Durham on July 1, and concluding with the third ODI at Lord's on July 19.
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Soham Mukherjee is a content producer and writer, with a focus on cricket, football, tennis and Indian sports. His work has appeared in Goal.com previously, where he has covered the Premier League, La Liga, Champions League, FIFA World Cups and Indian football. Armed with an MA (Master's) in Sports Journalism from Symbiosis International University, he knew early on that his future wouldn’t be on the pitch but behind the pen, shaping narratives about the games he adores.
