Decision to play is player's call - IPL chief

The decision to play is a player's call and no player is forced to represent his club or country, particularly when it's a case of injury, the IPL chief Sundar Raman has said. "I think it has always been up to the player to decide," he told ESPNcricinfo. "Firstly, he has to see whether he is fit or not. And the BCCI physio will take a look at the player and subject to a satisfactory report, he plays.

"The player knows his body better than anyone else does and I don't think I want to sit in judgement on that. If the physio believes that the player is not fit to play a game, he would report that and the player would not play the game.

"Nobody is forced to play. Nobody is forced to play for the country. Nobody is forced to play for their club."

Concerns over players playing despite injuries have come to the fore following Gautam Gambhir's shoulder injury sustained during the World Cup and aggravated during the IPL. Gambhir, who captains Kolkata Knight Riders, played in his team's eliminator play-off on Wednesday hours after the team physio Andrew Leipus wrote to the BCCI that Gambhir needed four to six weeks' rest to recover. Gambhir, however, claimed he had not been aware of the seriousness of the injury and had not discussed the matter with Leipus prior to the game.

Raman refused to comment on the Gambhir issue. "I am honestly not in a position to comment on the Gambhir situation because the Indian physio has to see Gambhir, submit his report, take a view on whether he was fit not fit so it is too premature for me to say right now."

However, he added: "I don't think any player would want to carry or feign an injury and continue to go and play. A player knows his body. I believe they are professionals and if the player is injured, if there are any practices or processes that have not been put in place, that is for the administrative part of it to ensure that all of that is taken care of.

"The player takes the view of somebody who is an expert in that field and I think that's the way it is. I am looking at it as what would I have done? I would have listened to my body."