PCB cancels the Under-13 and Under-16 games due to age falsification

A new development has occurred in the Pakistan Cricket Board, wherein the decision to cancel the Under-13 and Under-16 competitions have been taken due to cheating in the age of the registered players. According to ESPNcricinfo, Nadeem Khan, High-Performance Director, has stated that the PCB has taken the right decision to suspend the tournaments.

“After a visual inspection revealed that several over-age cricketers were competing in the U-13 and U-16 competitions, it was clear that postponing the championships and conducting new bone age tests was the best course of action. As the sole governing body of cricket in Pakistan, the PCB cannot enable over-age cricketers to take advantage of the system’s shortcomings and demotivate and stress worthy under-age cricketers and their parents, “he stated.

“Falsifying age to participate in age-group cricket is not only a crime but also a threat to our system. This must now be remedied in order to safeguard the tournament’s credibility as well as to prevent an exodus of young, bright cricketers. A decision will be made on their [overage players’] future participation in PCB-organized tournaments,” Nadeem concludes. This was not a surprising event for anyone who knows the PCB and their reputation in the cricketing culture.