In a major move to ensure junior cricket equity, the Indian Cricket Committee (BCCI) has updated its Age Verification Program (AVP). The decision was made at a recent Apex Council meeting to block age.
The biggest change is that younger players will be allowed to undergo a second bone examination if necessary. Until now, boys aged 14 to 16 and girls aged 12 to 15 were only allowed to receive a one-off test, but that test will determine their future in the BCCI age-level tournament.
BCCI improves age test policy to curb junior cricket age fraud
In previous systems, BCCI used x-ray scans to check the age of the player’s bones. They then add one year to that number and get the player’s “math age”. This was the age used to determine whether a player was eligible to play in the U-16 or U-19 tournament.
Your daily cricket dosage!
Also Read: Stuart Broad removed from the summit by 10 best batsman of Test cricket, Virat Kohli
For example, if a boy’s bone age is found to be 14.8 years old, his mathematical age would be counted as 15.8 years old. That means you are eligible to play in the Under-16 category that season. But at the same time, according to official documents, the same player is not eligible to play the following year, even if he is still under the age of 16.
This often caused frustration and confusion between players and parents, especially for those who were truly within age limits. With new rules allowing second testing, the board hopes to provide a more accurate and fair process and provide a better opportunity to compete with the right players.
BCCI allows second bone tests to ensure fairness in junior cricket
With a new update, the BCCI now allows junior players to take their second bone test if the official documents indicate that they are still in the cutoff era. This change will be useful for cricketers who may have been mistakenly marked as excessive due to limitations on bone examinations.
Well, bone tests are based on science, but not always 100% accurate, so the board is proving eligibility to authentic young talent, giving them the chance to continue playing in age group tournaments throughout the second test.
The Indian Cricket Committee has taken this step after years of issues with age fraud in junior cricket. Many players are known to lie about their age to gain an unfair advantage. In shocking cases, even parents sent their younger siblings for bone examinations and tried to trick the system by pretending to be players.
Players must submit an Aadhaar card for bone examination
The BCCI took strong action against such fraud and introduced strict rules to stop it. In order to make the process safer and fairer, the Indian cricket BCCI has made it mandatory for all players to submit Aadhaar cards with recent photos before taking the bone test.
This process ensures that only the correct players will undergo bone examination.
Bone age tests are usually conducted annually in July and August when board officials travel to each state. The tests will be conducted in officially approved hospitals, with each state getting a time slot. On average, around 40-50 boys and 20-25 girls are tested in each state.
Also Read: Sanjay Manjrekar admits to block Shubman Gill.