BCCI gets serious about age-fraud, plans to hire verification agency

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has taken a big step to stop age fraud in cricket. It is now looking to hire a professional agency to verify the age and identity of young players. A Request for Proposal (RFP) has already been sent out, seeking experienced companies to apply for the job. The BCCI hopes to appoint the agency by the end of August.

The decision comes after some players were found to have submitted doubtful documents in the past. To keep things fair and transparent, the BCCI wants to make sure only deserving and eligible players get a chance. By bringing in outside experts, the board aims to make the process stronger and more reliable.

Currently, BCCI uses a two-step method to check a player's age. First, they look at documents, like birth certificates and school records. If needed, a bone test called the TW3 (Tanner-Whitehouse 3) will be done. These checks are mainly done for boys under 16 and girls under 15.

The BCCI has set some clear rules for the companies that want to take up the job. They must have at least three years of experience in doing background checks for big companies or schools. They should also be able to work across all parts of India: cities, towns, and villages and carry out both online and field checks, if required.

The agency will have to verify several kinds of documents like age proof, address proof and school records. In some cases, they may even have to visit the player’s home or school to confirm the details, especially in rural areas.

Age-verification is usually done in July and August each year, but since the new agency will be hired later this month, the process might go on till September.

This move marks a major change, as BCCI used to do all these checks in-house. Now, by hiring outside experts, the board is looking to make youth cricket more honest and fair.