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Board will have to follow Kerala HC order on Sreesanth: Mohammed Azharuddin

Azharuddin was banned by the BCCI in 2000 for his alleged involvement in match-fixing. However, the lifetime ban was declared illegal by the Andhra Pradesh high Court in 2012.

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Former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin said that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will have to follow the Kerala High Court's order and revoke lifetime ban on fast bowler S Sreesanth's.

"The BCCI will have to take a positive decision (on Sreesanth) if the court has given an order. I think if the court order has come then they have to follow it," the stylish batsman said in a media interaction in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Azharuddin was banned by the BCCI in 2000 for his alleged involvement in match-fixing. However, the lifetime ban was declared illegal by the Andhra Pradesh high Court in 2012.

About prospects of Sreesanth coming back to international cricket, Azhar said, "He has lost four years but Sreesanth will have to bring his fitness up to the required standards and he will have to put in good performances,"
Praising Sreesanth, Azhar said the fast bowler could have been handled better. "According to me, Sreesanth was one of the finest fast bowlers but I think he was not handled properly. If he was handled better, he would have turned out to be a good fast bowler. If you see very few bowlers could manage to land the ball on the seam as he did, so he was very good," he added.

The Hyderabadi cricketer had sent a letter to the BCCI and the Committee of Administrators (COA) about clearing his pending dues. He said he is hopeful that it will be done so.

"My expectations are positive because I never think negative. The letter that I sent to the board has been put in the agenda of the meeting. So, that means they are serious about it. I am hoping this case is resolved at the earliest and we move ahead from it.

"I never had a problem with BCCI. Obviously when I got the ban I had to defend myself, that is the only thing other than that there is nothing against the board."

Azhar said he plans to get into cricket administration and work for the betterment of Hyderabad cricket.

"Yes, I will definitely plan for it, I am trying for the same. In Hyderabad, cricket has suffered in the last few years. If you see the Deloitte report (BCCI internal audit) and the other reports, the situation is very bad and some good deserving guys are not getting chances. So Hyderabad cricket is suffering at the moment.

"It pains me a lot and I am trying to see that we have a good system in place. The money is coming in but you have to ensure that it reaches the players and it goes into the development of the game and not for other miscellaneous things, it is not good."

Azhar also refrained from being drawn into comparisons that India chief coach Ravi Shastri made where he called Virat Kohli's side as the best team. "The Indian team in those days were different to the team now, so it is unfair to compare. He (Shastri) was also part of the team in those days so he is also including himself. The bowlers were different, the opposition teams were different. So, it is difficult to compare two eras."

The former skipper said he was sad to see how former coach Anil Kumble was treated. "It is sad that something like this happened to Anil. Knowing him, I don't think he is that type of a person. Maybe he thought it is better to be away from and losing your self-respect. I think he took the right decision."

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