The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has further intensified its campaign to prevent age fraud. Taking a significant step in this direction, the board has decided to conduct independent verification of players' age and qualifications.
Sports News: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has taken a strict and historic step to curb age fraud. Now, no Indian cricketer will be able to hide their true age. For this, the BCCI is going to appoint an external verification agency that will investigate the age and eligibility of players. The aim of this initiative is to maintain fairness and transparency in Indian cricket, especially in junior and under-age tournaments.
Age Fraud: BCCI Prepares for Strict Action
It is not new in the cricket world that some players try to play in junior tournaments by showing their age as less, which not only deprives eligible players of opportunities but also raises questions about the credibility of the entire system. To eliminate this problem, the BCCI has now started the process of appointing an external professional agency.
According to a Cricbuzz report, the BCCI has issued an RFP (Request for Proposal) for this, inviting several experienced and reputable companies to participate in the process. The agency is expected to be appointed by the end of August 2025.
BCCI's Two-Tier Age Verification System
The BCCI already employs a two-tier age verification system:
- Document verification – which includes checking Aadhaar cards, passports, birth certificates, and school records, etc.
- TW3 Test (Tanner-Whitehouse 3 Method) – This is a scientific test in which the player's actual age is estimated based on bone age. This test is specifically applicable to Under-16 boys and Under-15 girls.
- Now, the BCCI is involving an external agency to further strengthen and make both these levels more transparent.
BCCI's Conditions for the Agency
The BCCI has set some important conditions for selecting this verification agency:
- The agency must have at least 3 years of experience.
- It should have the capacity for physical and digital verification in all states and union territories of India.
- The agency should be able to verify Aadhaar, passport, birth certificate, school records, educational documents, residence proof, etc.
- If required, field verification facility should also be available, especially in rural areas.
The BCCI wants to ensure that there is no scope for any age-related fraud and that only players of the right age play on the right platform. The BCCI has also made it clear that if any player is found to be committing age fraud, strict disciplinary action will be taken against them.
