HC refuses to interfere in BCCI's age determination method

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday declined to interfere with the Tanner Whitehouse 3 (TW-3) (bone age determination) method adopted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to ascertain age of players for all under-16 matches.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice G. Rohini set aside an order of single judge of December 2013 who had directed BCCI to determine the age of players on the basis of birth certificates or documents furnished as age proof while doing away with the bone test.

BCCI from September 2012 onwards had started adopting TW3 method in place of GP (Greulich-Pyle) method since the former method has accuracy rate of plus/minus 6 months and the GP method has accuracy rate of plus/minus 2 years.

The bench in the order said: "We are also of the view that BCCI cannot be expected to have the method of verification of genuineness of documents which are given as proof of age by the players from all over the country."

Evidently, the bone age test adopted by BCCI is "to avoid discrimination between the players and to ensure a level playing field in age group tournaments," the bench said and refused to interfere in a policy matter of the cricket body.

The court's direction came on the plea filed in 2013 by two budding cricketers Yash Sehrawat and Aryan Sehrawat who had then claimed that the cricket body had unreasonably denied them permission to play an under-16 cricket tournament saying they are over-age.

On December 29, 2013, the single judge had ordered BCCI to verify the genuineness and authenticity of the documents, including the school certificates, filed by the two players. On January 21, 2014, the division bench had stayed the single judge order.