BCCI bans Meghalaya-bound Delhi player for age fraud

In second such case in two days, a domestic cricket player from Meghalaya was banned on Thursday for producing fake birth certificate to play an Under-19 age group tournament.

Jaskirat Singh Sachdeva had shifted base from Delhi recently and registered with Meghalaya Cricket Association producing a birth certificate, which showed his date of birth as 15-11-1999 and a hospital in Shillong as his original birth place. However, it has been claimed by board officials that he had earlier entered another date of birth and birth place.

This comes after a Puducherry player was found to have tempered with his birth certificate and subsequently banned by BCCI on Wednesday.

DNA has in possession a letter shot off by Syed Saba Karim, the general manager of cricket operations, over Sachdeva's issue to the secretary of Meghalaya Cricket Association on Thursday.

"It has been brought to our notice that your association has registered online Jaskirat Singh Sachdeva in boys under-19 age-group for 2018-19 season. However, while scrutinising the birth certificates submitted in 2016-17 season and for the current year, we have found discrepancy," Karim's letter stated

The letter pointed out that Sachdeva, while registering for Delhi & Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) in 2016-17 season, produced a birth certificate issued by the Delhi Municipal Corporation stating 15-11-2000 as date of birth. The place of birth has been stated as Roopali Medical Centre in Delhi.

However, this season, Sachdeva has produced another birth certificate, which is issued by Shillong Municipal Board stating his date of birth date as 15-11-1999. Both the certificates are in possession of DNA.

"From the above, it is observed that, this player has been using two birth certificates, with different dates of birth, which is a serious matter and the BCCI has dealt with such cases sternly. In view of this discrepancy in these two birth certificates, we have to advise you that this player is not allowed to participate in any of the BCCI tournaments for a period of two years, with effect this season 2018-19," Karim stated in letter.

The two cases of age fraud has brought focus on BCCI's scrutinising methods as there have been complaints of large scale age frauds in newly-created cricket associations.

"This age check has to be conducted at the very beginning of the season. All unwanted players of big states are trying to shift base to these new states to get certificates. It would be difficult at this stage for BCCI to check such large scale frauds," said a senior BCCI official.