BCCI to implement tougher norms to foil age fudging

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at its first annual conclave had declared a sweeping reform as far as Under-19 cricket is concerned. As per the decision a player can participate in maximum two seasons at the U19 level. He will be eligible to participate in just a single U19 World Cup and would be asked to produce at least three age proofs. While those entering at the U16 level had to undergo a bone age determination test.

This came in as the board’s reform in order to curb age fudging after several voices including that of coach Rahul Dravid had been raised on the issue. It is now learnt that the BCCI in its working committee meeting sent a letter to all its affiliated units to implement the orders.

At the moment the BCCI follows the TW3 test (Tanner-Whitehouse), a skeletal maturity test to determine the age at U16 level. However, the TW3 test isn’t followed at the Under-19 level and the players are just asked to submit birth certificates. It has also been found that wards opt to change school at the age of 10-12 and obtain a new birth certificate with a fudged age which allowed them to play a few more years at the U19 level.

In the latest change the BCCI has also made it mandatory that the birth certificate produced should have been officially registered within a year of birth.

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Shirke’s letter:

Indian Express, reportedly accessed a letter BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke wrote: “There are some cricketers who enter at the under 19 age group level. Such players should submit at least three documents to support their date of birth if they are to be considered to participate in the under 19 tournament directly without having entered the BCCI circuit at the under 16 level. You are requested to discourage cricketers who submit birth certificates issued just a few years before. As per the Government of India rules, the birth has to be registered with in one year of the birth of the child.”

MCA’s problems:

Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) joint secretary PV Shetty said that the MCA faces a lot of problems in determining the age of players since there are a lot of migrants coming in who don’t even possess a birth certificate. “In a state like Uttar Pradesh, the schools don’t ask for any birth certificate which is not the case in Mumbai where parents will have to submit copy of birth certificate to respective schools. There has been cases earlier where players have played for Mumbai but didn’t have birth certificate. MCA has now strictly asked for birth certificate or else we don’t pick. Some got it but some couldn’t. In UP, a letter from mere Pradhan of the village is the proof of birth certificate but we don’t accept that,” Shetty said.

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Shirke in his letter further added that the players who enter the BCCI junior tournament at the U19 level will be allowed to participate in BCCI under-19 tournament for a maximum of two years. He also re-stressed on the TW3 testing method for U-16 cricketers. “Under 16 is the formal entry point for players participating in the BCCI junior tournament and they have to undergo age verification process to be eligible. The age verification process involves bone rating-TW3 method. Only those who pass the bone rating are eligible to play in the under 16 tournaments.”