Reports: BCCI taking strict measures to curb age-fudging

Age-Fudging has been a topic in the limelight since Rahul Dravid’s speech in the MAK Pataudi lecture last December where he admitted that “the scourge of over-age players” in junior cricket is no different to “fixing and corruption”.

The BCCI is about to lay down strict rules to state associations regarding Age-Fudging. From the 2016-17 domestic seasons, players willing to play competitive cricket in the under-19 category have to submit at least three documents to attest their date of birth. The age-verification programme (AVP) and the Tanner-Whitehouse 3 method (TW3) to test bone maturity will be conducted as usual at the Under-16 level.

As per the reports of ESPN cricinfo, BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke had sent a letter to the state associations regarding the matter. "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 tournaments directly without having entered the BCCI circuit at the Under-16 level," Ajay Shirke remarked in an e-mail to the state associations on July 1.

The BCCI had introduced the Tanner-Whitehouse Method in 2012, which determines the age of a person with respect to the growth of bones but have failed to curb the sin. Many players have faked their birth certificates and fooled the associations to play cricket at junior levels in recent times.

Ajay Shirke feels it is the responsibility of the state associations to eradicate age-fudging. Shirke stated, "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."

In 2012, the age-verification programme (AVP) was also introduced. Shirke stated that both these methods were introduced at the under-16 level to ensure eligibility of the players. "Under-16 is the formal entry point for players participating in the BCCI Junior Tournaments 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.”