Rahul Dravid : Really glad that BCCI is taking steps to address over-age issue

ByArun S Kaimal, SportsCafe Editor

06/30/2016

India U-19 coach Rahul Dravid believes that the BCCI working committee’s decision to bar players from playing in multiple U-19 World Cups will go a long way in curbing age-fudging. Dravid also felt that the BCCI’s decision will have a positive impact on cricketers of the coming generations.

Rahul Dravid took the issue of age-fudging to the centre stage last year after raising it in the MAK Pataudi Memorial Lecture in December 2015. The former Indian cricketer had also urged the BCCI to stop the menace in his speech. Although the BCCI did not specify any reason, the working committee of the Board took the decision last week to bar players from playing in multiple U-19 World Cups. Congratulating the Board on the move, Dravid said that the decision will go a long way in curbing the threat of age fudging.

"Being allowed to play only one U-19 World Cup will mean people are less motivated to alter the age. Honestly, U-19 cricket should be more about exposure and less about results. The focus should be on giving more youngsters an opportunity to play rather than on winning. And that's what this new rule will result in. The long term results of this step will far outweigh the potential loss of results in the short term," Dravid, who has been very vocal on the issue, told PTI.

The 43-year-old, who is now head coach of the India 'A' and India Under-19 teams, also expressed his happiness about the Board’s decision and said that it will have a positive impact on cricketers of the coming generations.

Honestly, U-19 cricket should be more about exposure and less about results."

"Really glad that the BCCI is taking some steps to try to address the over-age issue. There is no quick fix to it but at least a step in the right direction has been taken. The age fudging issue is a major problem and I see it having an adverse impact on the development of cricketers and the continued participation of more deserving people in the game," Dravid added.

Also read: To Dravid, With Love - Diary of an Indian Sports fan

Another decision taken by the working committee was to bar players who enter the system at the U-19 stage from playing more than two seasons under the age group. The 42-year-old welcomed the decision by the BCCI and said that two years should be good enough to graduate to the next level.

"The move to allow players who enter the set up only at the U-19 level to play only two years of U-19 cricket is not a bad idea but needs to be monitored and evaluated at the ground level.

"We have heard of instances where players skip the bone test at the U-16 level and play many years at the U-19 level. This may prove a deterrent to those kind of people. Cricketers at that level, if they are good enough, two years of U-19 cricket should be enough for them to graduate to the next level," explained the owner of more than 24,000 international runs.

"In any case, there are U-23 matches which provide another platform. There is no purpose being served by having youngsters continue to play 3-4 years at the U-19 level especially if they have entered the scene after the age of 16-17," Dravid said, reported PTI.

Also read: The gems that Rahul Dravid gifted India

Dravid also believes that the focus should be taken away from U-19 World Cups and said that the Board should focus on arranging more long-form cricket for the youngsters.

"One way to strengthen the junior cricket set up is to shift the focus from the U-19 World Cup and have more tours with more long form cricket and not just One Day cricket.

"The team selected for these tours need not necessarily be the best 15 always but selected from a wider pool of about 20-25 players. We should look at these series to give opportunities to more youngsters to give them a taste of international cricket at the junior level.

"Having more kids tour overseas will mean more future first class cricketers would have experienced playing in different conditions and that will certainly help in improving domestic cricket as well. Apart from the cricket, it will give a chance for more youngsters to experience other cultures which will aid their overall development," concluded Dravid.

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