Tainted fast bowler S Sreesanth said earlier this week he was disappointed with MS Dhoni and Rahul Dravid for not supporting him when he was caught in the spot-fixing scandal that rocked the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2013.
The former Kerala pacer also revealed he tried to persuade the World Cup-winning captain Dhoni into helping him by sending "emotional messages", but found no success.
Sreesanth along with his former Rajasthan Royals (RR) teammates Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were arrested in May-June 2013 for their alleged involvement in spot-fixing. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also slapped a life ban on all three cricketers.
Back in 2015, charges filed against all the three cricketers by the Delhi Police were dropped by a trial court in Delhi. However, the BCCI maintained it would not lift the life ban on Sreesanth, which prompted him to take legal help.
"I was sad that Rahul [Dravid] stood by Rajasthan Royals, and didn't support me despite knowing me well. I messaged MS Dhoni, and sent him an emotional message. But he didn't respond," Sreesanth told "Republic TV".
Notably, Sreesanth played under Dravid during his initial days in the national team and was also an integral member of the 2007 World T20 and 2011 World Cup winning sides under Dhoni.
'Top Indian players accused'
Meanwhile, the 34-year-old, who tried his hand at politics and cinema, also revealed top players were also involved in the spot-fixing scandal.
"Six or more of the top 10 Indian players were accused by the Delhi Police. If the other six names of the accused come out, it will really affect the game," Sreesanth said.
He added: "Let's face it, this is not the national team. The BCCI is a private firm. If I'm given an opportunity and I'm allowed to play, then I would play for another country."
Earlier this year, there was temporary relief for Sreesanth as the Kerala High Court had requested the BCCI to lift the life ban, but a division bench of the same court reimposed the ban last month, much to the disappointment of the cricketer, who later said he was ready to quit India and play for another country.
