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Hiken Shah: I have always played the game fair. Why would I do this?

Mumbai's Hiken Shah says BCCI's five-year suspension has shocked him

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Hiken Shah gets emotional during a chat in Mumbai on Friday
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It has been four days since Hiken Shah was handed a five-year suspension from cricket by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for his 'illegal approach' to a player before the start of last year's Indian Premier League (IPL).

In each of those four nights, the 31-year-old couldn't sleep well. His mind kept fluctuating over his next course of action: whether to take the legal route or convince the BCCI to give him another chance. The former appears more likely.

It's difficult to fathom how the Mumbaikar got himself into this situation, though, being clubbed with Ajit Chandela, who has been banned for life for his role in the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal. Ever since he took to cricket, Shah was always known to be sincere and dedicated. Coaches and senior cricketers would give their wards Shah's example as to how to conduct themselves on and off the field.

"I don't know what happened. I am shocked," Shah tells dna on Friday. The interaction isn't taking place at a five-star hotel or a posh restaurant, but on a street next to a small bus depot in a suburb.

"I have always played the game fair. I have never even been summoned by match referees for misconduct during my Ranji Trophy career. Why would I do this?" he asks.

Shah reiterates his long-standing defence of misunderstanding between him and the then Rajasthan Royals leg-spinner Pravin Tambe, who was approached by Shah. Tambe immediately reported it to the franchise officials.

"I don't know why Pravin Tambe did this," Shah says. "Maybe, he misunderstood when I met him. I had asked him if he could make arrangements for my admission in the DY Patil College, since he works there. I did not utter the word fixing even once."

Shah adds that he has never met Tamble since. "I didn't get a chance. If I do, I would want to," he says.

Shah was introduced to the game by his father, who is an employee of a garment factory.

"Whatever I have now is because of cricket. They have taken away my life. If you take away my cricket, I will be left with nothing. It is my bread and butter," Shah says.

The southpaw was touted as a promising cricketer in his younger days, making it to the Mumbai Ranji team in 2007 on the basis of solid performances in junior and university cricket. Somehow, he could not take the next step.

He had an orthodox game, and was not quite known for hitting sixes. "Maybe that's why I could not get an IPL contract," he says.

A dip in form forced him to move to Jammu & Kashmir, before he eventually returned to Mumbai.

"I live in a joint family. Ten of us stay in a 280 square foot room in Charni Road. From whatever I earned right from my U-15 to Ranji Trophy to league cricket in England, I bought a flat for my parents in Borivli," Shah says.

Tears rolled down his eyes when asked what his wife went through in all this. "She was completely shocked. She knows that I cannot do something like this. I went into depression. But it is due to my wife, my two-year-old son and my parents that I have kept myself motivated to fight the world," he says.

Shah's cricket career might well be over now, but will he allow his son to play the game? "Why not? If my son wants to play cricket, I will back him. Whatever I am now is because of cricket," Shah says.

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