In a great move, Indian Supreme Court has revoked the life ban imposed on former Indian fast-bowler S Sreesanth, who finally got relief after being sidelined from cricket for six years. Sreesanth was involved in a spot-fixing scandal during the Indian Premier League 2013, where he last represented Rajasthan Royals.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is given a three-month period by the Supreme Court to decide a new punishment for Sreesanth. The 36-year-old looked relieved after hearing this news and mention he was about to announce retirement.
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“I need cricket back, I do not think it will take BCCI 90 days to make the decision but I am grateful that the life ban has been removed. I fought my battle all by myself. My practice is going on and the road ahead totally depends on the selectors,” Sreesanth told reporters after the verdict.
“It was a huge fight and the Supreme Court has given me a lifeline. There were so many opportunities where I was even going to announce my retirement, but thank god I didn’t. I have started staying fit to play the game, thanks to the T20 and T10 leagues, I can still earn my bread and butter somewhere,” he said.
Kerala-born cricketer believes the board can make the decision in the next two weeks.
“I am not bothered by my fitness as I am inspired by Leander Paes and Ashish Nehra, they both kept on playing even after reaching the age of 36. I just hope BCCI does not announce their decision on the 90th day, I hope they do it in a couple of week time,” Sreesanth said.
Also Read: Supreme Court lifts the life ban from Sreesanth
The apex court has also stated that its verdict will have no effect on the criminal proceedings pending against the former cricketer in the Delhi High Court, where the Delhi Police has challenged a trial court’s order discharging all accused, including Sreesanth, in the IPL spot-fixing case.
Now, the onus is on BCCI to decide a new punishment for Sreesanth. They can leave a ray of hope for him to make a comeback in the field of cricket and start his journey again.
Sreesanth played for India between 2006 and 2011 and took 169 international wickets. His last appearance was in a Test match against England in August 2011.
