BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal on Tuesday (November 23) clarified that the Indian board has no role to play in deciding the food choices of its contracted players.

His comment comes in the wake of the social media outrage over BCCI’s decision to reportedly include halal meat in the players’ dietary plan ahead of the Test series against New Zealand.

Speaking to India Today, Dhumal said players are free to choose what they eat and what they don't as he rubbished reports claiming that the board had prepared a new dietary plan for the cricketers.

"This (diet plan) has never been discussed and will not be enforced. I don't know when this decision was taken or if it was. As far as I know, we never issued any guidelines related to diet plans. As far as food habits are concerned, it is the individual choice of players, BCCI has no role in it," Arun Dhumal quoted.

"This 'halal' thing may have happened on any player's feedback at some point in time. For example, if a player says he doesn't eat beef and if a foreign team comes then the food should not be mixed. This halal issue has never been brought to BCCI's attention," he added.

"The BCCI doesn't advise any of its players what to eat and what not to eat. Players are free to choose their own food. Whether they want to be vegetarian, it's their choice, whether they want to be vegan, it's their choice, whether they want to be non-vegetarian, it's their choice," he explained.

Last week, a report published in Sports Tak claimed that the Indian cricketers have to follow a strict diet plan which will exclude pork and beef in any form. The players are allowed to have meat but it should be only in halal form.

The decision has reportedly been taken to keep the players fit and healthy ahead of important series. The dietary plan will ensure that the cricketers don't add up unnecessary weight which could affect their on-field performance.

Team India will take on New Zealand in two Tests, starting November 25 in Kanpur.