Kerala Cricket Association urges BCCI to lift Sreesanth's ban

The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) on Monday urged the BCCI to lift the life ban on S Sreesanth after a Delhi court exonerated the former India pacer from the IPL spot-fixing charge.

All the 36 accused persons including Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila were on Saturday discharged in the IPL-6 spot fixing case by Patiala House Court but the Indian cricket board refused to lift the ban on them.

KCA president and BCCI vice-president T C Mathew said the state board had written to both the secretary and the president of the Indian Board in this regard.

"We have requested them that in the light of the court itself exonerating Sreesanth from the case, the ban imposed on him be lifted. Now we will wait for the response," said Mathew.

A Kerala government body though has already thrown open the doors of the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium for the 32-year-old cricketer. Eager to return to competitive cricket, Sreesanth had a quick net session at his former club ground in the evening upon his arrival in Kochi on Sunday.

The KCA is hoping that Sreesanth will be able to play for the state in the upcoming Ranji Trophy season. During the course of investigation, all the three accused cricketers had to spend time in jail. Of the three, Sreesanth and Chavan are currently serving life bans imposed by the BCCI after the scandal shook the high-profile league, while Chandila's hearing is still on.