Did MCA error lead to overage shame?

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On a day when the legendary Sachin Tendulkar spoke about dealing with age fudging with utmost seriousness when he met the new Apex Council of the Mumbai Cricket Association, three cricketers from its U-16 team were ordered to return home just before Mumbai were to take on Gujarat in Valsad in the Vijay Merchant Trophy on Thursday.

It has emerged that an administrative lapse from the MCA could have led to this embarrassment. The BCCI match officials pointed out that these three cricketers cannot play in the U-16 category this season because as per their bone test [conducted last season] they are now eligible for the U-19 category.

The BCCI claimed that this was informed to the MCA last season itself. When the selection trial tournament [Kalpesh Koli] for the Mumbai U-16 team took place this year, these three cricketers were drafted in various teams. Their good performances paved the way for their selection.

It is learnt that the boys asked the MCA officials whether they have to go for the bone test this time too, but they were informed that it is not required since their test was already conducted last year by the Indian board. "It is mandatory for every cricketer to undergo a bone test when they first enter the BCCI system at the U-16 category. That record is forever with the BCCI. Every cricketer's age is taken into account on that basis. So, in this case, the three boys have had to suffer for no fault of theirs," a source told mid-day yesterday.

MCA secretary Sanjay Naik said he will look into the issue. "We will look into how this technical error took place. We will ensure such things do not occur again," Naik told mid-day.

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