Chandigarh, November 3
Given the prevalence of overage cricketers playing in junior categories, it may not be a bone-chilling revelation if an unusually large number of players are found tainted across the country. But in the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA), the problem has reached grave proportions.

It has come to light that as many as 12 Punjab players were found overage in the under-16 category during various national tournaments. The PCA had referred 31 medical reports to the BCCI under the new system, whereby the TW3 method is used to determine the exact age of a player.

It is learnt that out of the 12, two players are from Patiala. PCA secretary MP Pandove confirmed the news. “Roughly 20-25% of the medical reports sent to the BCCI were found having the anomaly. Since the BCCI is overseeing the matter, it will take appropriate action,” he said. He added that from now, the TW3 procedure —which uses X-ray of bones to determine the exact age of children in the 11-16 group — would now be the basis for determining the age of players in all BCCI tournaments.

“Five players from Himachal also have been found overage,” HP Cricket Association cricket operations manager Manuj Sharma said. The reported figure is one more than (11) players of the 15-member Mumbai Under-16 team that failed the age verification tests conducted in mid-September. There have been reservations about the accuracy of the TW3 procedure, and this is the first time that this method was used by the BCCI, to move on from the imperfections of the earlier methods. The new method has replaced the GP method.