The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has taken a big decision to stop age fraud in junior cricket.
From now on, Under-16 boys and Under-15 girls will be allowed to undergo a second bone test if their ‘bone age’ is above the prescribed limit.
This new rule was recently passed in the top meeting of BCCI, and the purpose of implementing it is that no talented player loses an opportunity just because of a math error.
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What happened in junior cricket earlier?
BCCI used to conduct bone tests of 14-16 year old boys and 12-15 year old girls. In this, the bone age was checked by TW3 method, and then 1 year was added to it.
On the basis of this ‘mathematical age’, it was decided whether the player could play in Under-16 or Under-15. For example, if a boy’s bone age is 14.8 years, then 1 year is added to the age and it is assumed to be 15.8 years.
He could play that year, but would be automatically out the next year.
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What is the new rule for junior cricket?
Under the new rule, if the player’s birth certificate says that he is still below 16 years of age, he will get a chance to get a bone test done again in the next season.
If his age is below 16 years, he can continue playing in the same age group. The same rule will apply to girls as well. This second test is because the bone test is not always 100% accurate. BCCI has accepted that science also has its limits.
These tests usually take place in July-August. Each state gets a specific time slot, and a BCCI official is present in each state during the testing.
About 40-50 boys and 20-25 girls from each state come for the test, which is held in a big hospital. But, some parents used to send younger children for the test in place of the real players in an attempt to commit fraud.
The BCCI has caught this trick, now the player’s Aadhaar card and latest photo are checked before the test.
This step of BCCI will make junior cricket more transparent. This will give a chance to real talent, and will curb age fraud.
