The vexed over aged issue: Ban the guilty for life
The `Test' series between the India and English under-19 sides is being played and some young lads of the home team have done well so far
Woorkheri Raman
27-Jan-2001
The `Test' series between the India and English under-19 sides is
being played and some young lads of the home team have done well so
far. Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan, Vinayak Mane and Gautam Gambhir have
created an impression good enough for people to take notice of. The
English side is struggling to come to terms with the conditions in the
sub-continent and barring their skipper, not many have burnt many
bridges. Then, of course, by and large the English lads generally take
up cricket as a profession only after they are into their twenties. On
the contrary India has always tried to blood youngsters at the first
chance available which is appreciated with a twinge of envy all over
the world.
The India under-19 side under Roger Binny has done well ever since
winning the youth World Cup in Sri Lanka early last year. But the fact
remains that some of the boys have definitely given enough room for
everyone to be skeptical about their age and hence their eligibility
to play at all. Even before the start of the current under-19 `Test'
series there was a major controversy involving some boys trying to
fiddle with their birth certificates. There are enough ways and means
to find the culprits out but a combination of corrupt officials and
unscrupulous parents dodge the system. This sharp practice has been
there for a long time and will be there as long as the BCCI and all
the associations take a severe stance. The Australians have reportedly
informed that they will not take part in an age-limited tournament as
long as the Asian countries don't stop encouraging sharp practices
from the players.
There may be substance in the cynical attitude adopted by other
countries and it has to be said in all fairness that producing bogus
birth certificates is tantamount to blatant cheating. I am convinced
that the boys who are greedy to play at any cost have the connivance
of everyone right from the school authorities up to their State
Associations. What has also helped some players to cheat is the fact
that some are out of school and some may be attending universities and
the players themselves produce the certificates. The matches in this
category were played between schoolboys of different countries some
years ago and as such the schools had to produce an authentic
certificate lest the reputation of the institution was tarnished
beyond repair. With the under-19 aspect coming in, only the parents
and players know how they go about fiddling the birth certificates.
The off-shoot of some cricketers cheating and playing in the under-19
category is that most of them fade away and in fact some don't even
represent their state teams in the Ranji Trophy. The dubious
characters bulldoze with all their might at the junior level and the
moment they are drafted into the senior level, they fizzle out. There
have been many instances of this happening and I for one would not
want to name anybody. The question that remains unanswered is what to
do about players cheating in order to qualify? The BCCI has as usual
come up with a willy-nilly solution with a fine imposed on any player
caught. It is very obvious that the players themselves as well as
their parents are aware of the fact that they are cheating. Then why
is it that they are allowed to get away with sheer nonsense?
One can only presume that the office-bearers of various associations
encourage such blasphemy to try and build up favours with either the
bureaucrats or business associates. That is the reason some players
with enough clout show such flagrant disregard for laws and rules. The
only just and equitable punishment for players found guilty of
cheating is to ban them for life and anything else is a mere waste of
time. The leniency shown sometimes is justified by officials saying
that they should not spoil a youngster's future. This is the sort of
line that might help politicians but these days it has become
difficult to differentiate between the cricket administrators and
politicians. After all, the way some issues have been handled by the
so-called experienced administrators, politicians may probably even
fare better if they administer the game.
It is very difficult to remember when was the last time that a cluster
of cricketers from one under-19 team went on to play for the country.
If my memory serves me right it should be the 1981 batch led by Ravi
Shastri. After that it has been a case of a Laxman here, a Jadeja
there and a Badani now and then. It has to be realised that the
youngsters of today are our future hopefuls and if they are not
inculcated with the right kind of approach and values, then everyone
concerned with the game is wasting his time. As it is, the national
selectors are having a tough time to pick 20 good players and if the
situation is not rectified then only God can save Indian cricket. I
know for sure that at least one former legend will agree with me on
this aspect.