SC sets aside BCCI’s life ban on disgraced India pacer but he is not out of the woods yet
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has one more headache to tackle. On Friday the Supreme Court set aside life ban imposed on former India fast bowler S Sreesanth for his alleged involvement in the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal.
This is not the first time that a court of law has overturned BCCI's ban on a cricketer. In 2012, the Andhra Pradesh High Court struck down the life ban imposed by the BCCI on former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin on charges of 2000 match-fixing scandal.
In May 2013, Sreesanth, who was playing for Rajasthan Royals, and his teammates Ankit Chavan and Ajit Chandila were arrested by the Delhi Police for their alleged involvement in the spot-fixing controversy.
A bench comprising justices Ashok Bhushan and KM Joseph ruled that BCCI's disciplinary committee may reconsider, within three months, the quantum of punishment to be given to Sreesanth.
This led the BCCI Committee of Administrators (COA) chief to commit that the "issue will be taken up in the next COA meeting after going through the judgement copy".
On weak ground
However, many in the BCCI are of the opinion that Sreesanth stands on a weak ground and even apex court has refused to accept his pleas that "he should not be punished at all because he was acquitted in the spot-fixing case".
A senior official told DNA, "He (Sreesanth) was acquitted in the spot-fixing case as there is no law in India to prosecute on such grounds. But BCCI has a strict policy regarding the cheats and this has been followed till date."
Similar charges were also made against former India batsman Ajay Jadeja and he was rehabilitated by Delhi & District Cricket Association after his five-year ban expired. The official said: "Jadeja was banned for five years and not for life. Right now, it's only COA who is calling the shots and we in BCCI, just hope that better sense will prevail while dealing with such cases."
Sreesanth fought Kerala elections on BJP ticket from Thiruvananthapuram in 2014 elections, but lost to VS Sivakumar of Congress by 10,905 votes.
Next battle
After the SC verdict on Friday, Sreesanth said that he hopes to come back to the cricket field soon. "I hope BCCI respects the verdict and allows me to at least get back to the ground," said the speedster, adding: "I don't know what life has in store for me after all these years. It's six years and I haven't played cricket, which was my life."
Sreesanth cited the case of Inda's legendary tennis player, Leander Paes, who at 45 is competing at top level.
"If Leander can win Grand Slams at 42, I can at least play some cricket at 36," said the Kerala cricketer.
All his hopes now lie on March 18, when COA meeting is scheduled to discuss the anti-doping policy issue between BCCI and the International Cricket Council. Going by how Rai has reacted, there is every possibility that Sreesanth's matter may be taken up on the same date.
And according to the new BCCI constitution, approved by the SC, Sreesanth cannot be cleared by the COA. Rather, the matter will be forwarded to the ombudsman (retired Justice DK Jain), who will go through all the available material placed before him, along with the report of the Disciplinary Committee, which is yet to be constitued.
If Sreesanth's name is cleared by the ombudsman, only then just as Jadeja returned to play Ranji Trophy cricket, Sreesanth, too, can make a comeback and play for his home state Kerala, any of the IPL franchise, the Indian team etc.
That's the technicality. But one has to look at it objectively, and the chances of him making it back to Indian team or any IPL team remain woefully slim — given his age and the new crop of high quality pace bowlers in Indian cricket.
Also, if his name is cleared by the ombudsman, Sreesanth can take up the role of an expert commentator on BCCI controlled official panel and also be eligible to take up positions of an administrator, expert, coach etc in the BCCI or any of its affiliated unit.
For the maverick cricketer, the biggest battle has been won but the war is far from over.
TIME LINE
May 16, 2013
Delhi Police arrests Rajasthan Royals players S Sreesanth, Ankit Chavan and Ajit Chandila - on charges of spot-fixing. The players’ arrest leads to eleven bookies arrests including Amit Singh who had played for Rajasthan Royals before. BCCI suspends all three of them
May 17, 2013
Sreesanth confesses to alleged spot-fixing during his five-day judicial custody, says Delhi Police in its official statement
June 11, 2013
Sreesanth gets bail from a Delhi court as BCCI’s Anti-Corruption and Security officer Ravi Sawani submits his interim report
September 13, 2013
Sreesanth & Chavan banned for life while Amit Singh gets 5 year suspension. Siddharth Trivedi is banned for a year for not reporting an approach for spot-fixing. Harmeet Singh cleared with no evidence
August 7, 2017
Single-judge bench of the Kerala High Court quashes BCCI’s decision to impose life ban on Sreesanth. BCCI decides to appeal
October 17, 2017
BCCI’s appeal is successful as Kerala High Court restores life ban on Sreesanth
May 15, 2018
BCCI turns down Sreesanth’s plea to relax the ban and allow him to play county cricket. Supreme Court refuses permission and asks Delhi High Court to decide by July an appeal challenging a trial court order discharging several cricketers, including him
March 15, 2019
The Supreme Court sets aside the life ban and asks BCCI to reconsider punishment for Sreesanth
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