PCB suspends Under-13 and Under-16 tournaments due to age fraud

The Under-16 and Under-13 National tournaments in Pakistan have been suspended by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) due to age fraud. Further bone tests will be conducted for age verification by the PCB.

Nadeem Khan, who is the High-Performance Director of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said that the visual assessment confirmed that the players were over-aged, and suspending the event was the right choice to be taken.

“After visual assessment confirmed that some over-age cricketers were participating in the U-13 and U-16 tournaments, suspending the events and conducting fresh bone age tests was absolutely the right thing to do,” said Nadeem Khan as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.

The PCB cannot allow overaged cricketers to take advantage: Nadeem Khan

Nadeem Khan also added that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will not allow these overaged players to take advantage of the flaws present in the system and cause stress to the deserving cricketers who have been denied a chance.

“The PCB, as the sole governing body of cricket in Pakistan, cannot allow over-age cricketers to take advantage of the flaws in the system and cause demotivation and mental stress to deserving under-age cricketers as well as their parents,” added Nadeem Khan.

Nadeem Khan also added that stating false age just to become eligible to participate in the tournament is a menace that has plagued Pakistan cricket. Nadeem Khan reckoned that this practice needs to stop so that the integrity of the tournaments conducted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) can be protected. Khan concluded by stating that a decision regarding the future participation of these overaged cricketers in further tournaments will be taken.

“Falsifying age to become eligible to participate in age-group cricket is not only an offence but a menace that has been plaguing our system. This now needs to be corrected to protect the integrity of the tournaments as well as to stop the exodus of young talented cricketers. A decision on their [overage players] future participation in PCB-organised events will be made,” concluded Nadeem Khan.