Former Indian pacer S Sreesanth recently claimed to the court that the life-ban from cricket was “too harsh” decision that was taken by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
At one stage of his cricketing career, Sreesanth was one of the top Indian pacers. Playing for the national team, the right-arm pacer achieved huge success, including being an important member of the Indian cricket team in both the 2007 ICC World T20 and 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup winning squads. But everything was changed since the 2013 IPL where Sreesanth was found guilty for involving in the IPL spot-fixing.
In May 2013, the Rajasthan Royals’ players Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were arrested in the IPL 2013 spot-fixing case. Later, police claimed that Sreesanth confessed to spot-fixing. However, Sreesanth has always denied involving in the spot-fixing.
Since then, Sreesanth is carrying on BCCI’s disciplinary decision of life ban. Despite a Delhi court acquitted him in the IPL 2013 spot-fixing case in 2015, BCCI hasn’t lifted his ban from cricket.
Later, Sreesanth challenged on BCCI’s life-ban decision on him and a single-judge bench of the Kerala High Court ordered to lift that ban in last year. But soon in the same year, that ban was restored by a division bench of Kerala High Court.
Now on last Friday (December 7), Sreesanth told the Supreme Court that the life-ban was “too harsh” decision as he has suffered for a long time. He has got some offers to play the English County Cricket but he was failed to eligible due to that ban imposed.
On Friday, Sreesanth took the example of the former Indian cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin. The cricketer turned politician had been handed a lifetime ban after he was accused of his involvement in the 2000 match-fixing scandal. In 2012, the Andhra Pradesh High Court declared that the life ban was illegal. Sreesanth further questioned that if Azharuddin’s life-ban can be reversed than why it can’t be with him too.
Sreesanth’s advocate Salman Khurshid told the bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and Ajay Rastogi, “Life ban is too harsh. He is already 35. He cannot even play local club cricket because of ban. He wants to play cricket and he got some offer from England but the offer will disappear if he is not allowed to play.”
Meanwhile, the senior advocate Parag Tripathi, appearing for BCCI, told that they have enough evidence against Sreesanth to impose the life ban on him.
However, the bench ordered that they will first follow the Delhi High Court’s decision on the appeal filed against Sreesanth’s release in the spot-fixing scandal. While that hearing has been scheduled in the second week of January, the bench has scheduled the next hearing date in the third week of January.
