Kerala High Court orders BCCI to lift lifetime ban on Sreesanth

Sreesanth’s career has been a topsy-turvy one. When he was first burst onto the scene, it seemed as if India’s fast bowling problems would be taken care off, but his erratic bowling style meant that India couldn’t really bank on him.

He can boast of two World Cup triumphs, but his potential was wasted, wasted by his own wrongdoings. Sreesanth was banned by the BCCI in 2013 for being involved in spot-fixing in the IPL.

But the Kerala High Court has now ordered the BCCI to lift the ban on Sreesanth, as he has already been exonerated by a Delhi court in 2015.

The Kerala Court’s order comes after Sreesanth had filed a petition against BCCI for violating his constitutional rights, as the Delhi Court had found him innocent in the spot-fixing case.

BCCI had imposed the ban on Sressanth following the orders of the same Delhi Court that exonerated him in 2015. And thus Sreesanth feels that BCCI should now listen to the Delhi Court again, and lift his lifetime ban.

BCCI is however in no mood of lifting his ban, saying that the court has acquitted him of criminal charges, but it is the BCCI’s decision regarding Sreesanth’s participation in BCCI organised tournaments.

“The decision of the sessions court to acquit the petitioner from the criminal charges has no impact whatsoever on the decision of the internal disciplinary committee of the BCCI to ban the petitioner from playing cricket tournaments organised by the BCCI and/or its affiliates.”

While the criminal charges will be dropped, it seems highly unlikely that Sreesanth would feature in any of BCCI’s tournaments.