Guwahati, Feb. 8: The Assam Cricket Association (ACA) has taken fresh guard for thwarting any attempt by players to fudge their age.

The ACA directed its affiliated associations to be more vigilant in registering players for age-group inter-district tournaments. The directive has come close on the heels of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) tying up late last month with Apollo Hospitals for age verification of players.

“We have informed the districts about the BCCI’s tie-up after receiving a letter from Jagmohan Dalmiya,” ACA secretary Bikash Baruah said.

He said all districts have been asked to field their teams in different age-group tournaments of the ACA after proper verification of age. “If any player of a district team was suspected to be fudging his age, his case would be referred to the forensic science department of Gauhati Medical College Hospital.”

If found guilty, strict disciplinary action would be taken against the player as well as the district that he represents, Baruah said. “The maximum penalty for such a crime could be suspension of the guilty player and de-affiliation of the district because the BCCI won’t spare the ACA if such cases are detected in inter-state or inter-zonal meets.”

He said the ACA has to adopt stringent measures because it was among the state associations to have moved the BCCI to adopt strict rules for preventing age fudging in the game.

The BCCI tied up with Apollo Hospitals after deliberating over recommendations from the state-level associations as well as the sub-committees within the board. For East Zone, the tests would be conducted at the Calcutta unit of Apollo Hospitals.

Baruah said the ACA would adopt the system of registering a player’s age once at the beginning of his career. No change of age would be entertained in the future.

“The guardians, too, should dissuade their wards from adopting such unfair ways,” the ACA secretary said.

The ACA, which started registration of players since March last year, has warned that unregistered players would not be considered for selection in state or zonal teams. Every district association has been directed to register 20-member teams in each age group and seniors with the ACA.

Though the registration was meant to end age fudging, the guidelines on registration of age were not adequate. The BCCI rule (amended last year) stipulates that a player cannot play under-15, under-17 and under-19 cricket for more than two years.