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BCCI Ramps Up Age-Fraud Detection: To Appoint Verification Agency for Player Background Checks
BCCI Intensifies Crackdown on Age Fraud in Indian Cricket
In a significant move aimed at eradicating age-related fraud in domestic cricket, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has initiated the process to hire a third-party verification agency. This step marks a new chapter in the board’s longstanding effort to uphold integrity in age-group cricket competitions.
A Request for Proposal (RFP) has been issued inviting reputed screening agencies to submit bids. The selected agency will be responsible for verifying player credentials, including age, identity, residence, and educational history. The BCCI plans to finalize the agency by the end of August 2025, just ahead of the annual age-verification cycle.
Why BCCI Is Outsourcing Age-Verification?
Background Behind the Decision
While the BCCI has been conducting age-verification checks for years, recent reports suggest that fraudulent documentation has been submitted by certain individuals in domestic cricket. Suspect birth certificates and school records have raised concerns, prompting the BCCI to consider a more professional, systemized approach to the verification process.
By hiring an external screening agency, the BCCI seeks to ensure neutrality, transparency, and greater accuracy—key components required to preserve the fairness of youth-level cricket in India.
The Two-Tier Age Verification Protocol
The BCCI currently follows a two-level system for verifying player age:
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Document Verification: Initial assessment of documents such as birth certificates, school records, and other legal identification.
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TW3 Bone Test: A medical bone-age test (Tanner-Whitehouse 3 method) to scientifically assess a player’s actual biological age.
These procedures are primarily implemented for Under-16 boys and Under-15 girls, forming the foundation for fair selection at the grassroots level.
What the BCCI Expects from Screening Agencies
Requirements Outlined in the RFP
The cricket board has laid down stringent eligibility criteria for interested verification agencies. Some key expectations include:
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Minimum Three Years of Experience in providing background verification services to corporate firms, educational institutions, or recruitment bodies.
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Pan-India Operational Capability — digital and physical verification capacity across all Indian states and union territories.
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Multi-Document Verification Proficiency — including proof of identity (Aadhar, Passport, Voter ID), age, academic qualifications, and residence.
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On-Ground Field Verification Ability — especially for rural and remote areas where digital records may be limited.
These criteria are designed to ensure the agency can thoroughly vet up to 40–50 players per category (boys and girls) per state, as part of the BCCI’s annual verification cycle that usually takes place in July and August. This year, the timeline may extend into September 2025, given the new agency’s onboarding process.
Professionalizing the Process: A Move Towards Transparency
Previously, age-verification responsibilities were handled internally by the BCCI. However, the growing demand for a more structured and reliable verification framework has prompted the board to outsource these tasks. This initiative reflects the BCCI’s broader intent to standardize operational protocols and eliminate scope for bias or manipulation.
This proactive step mirrors standard practices in the corporate and government sectors, where third-party verification agencies are commonly employed to meet compliance norms. Such changes can be seen as part of BCCI’s overall strategy to align with best practices globally.
Read More: BCCI’s Ongoing Reforms in Indian Domestic Cricket
Cleaner Pathways for Future Cricketers
The professionalization of age-verification is expected to instill more faith among selectors, parents, coaches, and young aspirants. As domestic tournaments like the Vinoo Mankad Trophy, Cooch Behar Trophy, and Women’s U-15 One-Day tournaments rely heavily on accurate age-group classification, this move will go a long way in nurturing genuine talent and weeding out unethical shortcuts.
Cricket boards worldwide, including the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia, also emphasize document validation and biological testing to ensure age compliance.
