The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set for a showdown with the Kerala High Court over the fate of former India team bowler S Sreesanth. The judicial body has asked the Indian cricket board to lift the life ban on the former Rajasthan Royals man, but the BCCI are not interested.
Sreesanth was convicted of spot fixing during IPL 2013 along with his Rajasthan Royals teammates Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila. Soon, all the three were given life ban from cricket activities.
The 34-year-old Sreesanth did try his hands on other career options like acting and politics, but he never really got over his ambition of playing cricket again. Luckily, in 2015, a Delhi court dropped charges against the trio for not having enough evidence to punish them.
The BCCI, however, never really lifted the life ban from Sreesanth, who is the most prominent player of the three. He, therefore, approached the Kerala High Court earlier this year with a petition asking the BCCI to pave the way for him to play for a Scottish cricket side.
The court did find enough reasons why Sreesanth had a point and therefore, strongly asked the BCCI last week to lift the ban on the bowler.
The Indian cricket board, however, are not impressed.
"We don't agree with the order. It definitely needs to be challenged and within a week the appeal would be filed in the Kerala high court," a senior official from the cricket board has been quoted as saying by AFP.
"We were always clear on this case as the board is firm on its zero tolerance policy on corruption and match-fixing," the official said
"Yes, the legal team has studied the Kerala High Court order. The order has been passed by a single judge bench. As per the natural nomenclature, the BCCI has the right to appeal to a larger bench of the Kerala High Court. Therefore, we will be appealing against the overturn of ban at the Division Bench of the Kerala High Court," the official added, as reported by PTI.
