BCCI won't lift ban on S Sreesanth

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has rejected S Sreesanth's plea to lift life ban after he cited Kerala's court orders of "exonerating him from spot-fixing charges".

The BCCI on Monday told the Kerala High Court, which is hearing Sreesanth's petition against continuation of the life ban, that "the decision of the sessions court to acquit the petitioner from 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".

BCCI CEO Rahul Johri in a letter told Sreesanth about its decision after the Kerala fast bowler wrote to the Committee of Administrators (COA) appealing for revocation of his ban in the 2013 spot-fixing scandal.

BCCI was referring to the question before the BCCI disciplinary committee whether the petitioner is guilty of match-fixing, corruption and gambling and violation of the internal disciplinary rules of the board. And he was found guilty for violating the internal disciplinary rules of an organization.

BCCI further claimed that the court was also aware of its decision to ban Sreesanth while discharging him.

"The BCCI has always maintained zero tolerance towards corrupt practices. No court has exonerated Sreesanth of fixing charges. It was charges of his links with the underworld that were dismissed by the lower court," a BCCI official said on Tuesday.