Amnesty for players admitting age fraud

BENGALURU: In a bid to check the age fraud menace the BCCI has revamped the system. Among the major changes for the forthcoming season is a voluntary disclosure scheme which will be in effect for the next six weeks.
In a statement on Monday, the BCCI said, “Under this scheme, players who voluntarily declare that they have manipulated their date of birth by submitting fake/tampered documents in the past will not be suspended and allowed to participate in the appropriate age group level if they disclose their actual date of birth (DOB).”
Players must submit their declaration with the supporting documents before September 15.
Players found fudging their age after the stipulated period will be banned for two years from all cricket matches and after the completion of the ban, will be disallowed from participating in any age-group cricket.
SHORTER U-19 CAREERS
The TW3 bone test has for long been one of the key yardsticks to determine age. But it has been proven that it is not foolproof.
In the past, players clearing TW3 bone tests at the U-16 level could participate in U-19 tournaments for a maximum of four years. But according to the new rules, all such players, if their birth certificate is registered after more than two years of birth, will be permitted only two years of U-19 cricket.
Players making a direct entry at the U-19 level face two scenarios: those whose birth certificate is registered within two years of birth are allowed to play for a maximum of two years in the age category. Those whose fail to meet the birth certificate stipulation gets to play for only one year in the age group.
The four seasons clause will continue to apply for players who enter the system at the U-16 level, clear the TW3 test and possess birth certificate which is registered within two years. The only tweak in rules for such players is: earlier, the number of seasons played was counted only if they made it to the playing XI, now, once the player makes it to the XI, he can only participate in the ensuing three seasons.
CHANGE IN U-16 RULES
In the past, all players under the age of 16 could participate in the U-16 tournament, but going forward, only players between the age of 14-16 will be eligible to participate in BCCI tournaments.
NO AMNESTY FOR DOMICILE FRAUDS
With the number of teams increasing, especially among Union territories and newer state teams, the issue of domicile fraud has been rampant for the past few years. The domicile rule is applicable when a player is not a resident of the state by birth or hasn’t resided there for a minimum period of two years. If players are found to have forged documents, they face a two-year ban and the voluntary disclosure scheme is not applicable for them. Also, guest players will be allowed only in the senior men and women categories.