Former India cricketer and current National Cricket Academy (NCA) director Rahul Dravid has said that age fraud leads to an "erosion of culture" and is something that anyone involved in the game needs to play an active part in stopping.
“It is up to the maidan secretaries, the owners of the office teams, the club teams to ensure that this does not happen,” said Dravid at the prize distribution ceremony of the Times Cricket Shield.
"Age fraud leads to an erosion of culture," Dravid said. "It leads to a scenario where a lot of talented boys don't get to play when they should actually be playing," he added and said it is up to the state bodies to ensure a more holistic approach when it comes to dealing with junior cricket.
Dravid played an integral role in getting a rule implemented that saw players eligible to play in the ICC U-19 World Cup only once.
In his 15-minute speech, Dravid also implored the various cricketers present to remember why they started playing the game.
"Not every one of you will go on to play Ranji Trophy or for India or get an IPL contract. But don't let selection come in the way of your enjoyment. If you are always worried about your next selection, you will never enjoy the game," said Dravid.
