S Sreesanth launches another attack on 'private' BCCI, says open to 'play for any other country'

Courtesy: PTI

New Delhi: Banned India pacer S Sreesanth has hinted at the possibility of turning up for another country, saying "BCCI has imposed the ban, not ICC".

On Tuesday, a division bench of the Kerala High Court held that the lifetime ban imposed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sreesanth can continue.

He was banned for life following allegations of spot-fixing during an Indian Premier League match in 2013.

In an interview to Asianet News, the 34-year-old hinted that since BCCI has banned him from playing in India, he has the freedom to play cricket for any other country. During the interview, he also claimed that the Indian cricket board is a "private firm".

"BCCI has imposed the ban, not ICC. If not India, I can play for any other country, because am 34 now and I can only play for maximum six more years. As a person who loves cricket, I want to play cricket. And not only that, BCCI is a private firm; it is only us who say that this is the Indian team, but you know BCCI is a private body after all.

"So, if I play for any other country, it probably may be the same. Yes, representing Kerala in Ranji Trophy is different. I had hoped to win Ranji Trophy, Irani for Kerala, but the decision rests upon the BCCI," Sreesanth said.

In August, a single bench of the court had quashed the BCCI's ban on Sreesanth. It observed that “no material or evidence before the disciplinary committee to conclude that Sreesanth was guilty of a violation of the anti-corruption code formulated by the BCCI”.

But, while restoring the ban earlier this week, the division bench said the court cannot conduct a reappraisal of the evidence that BCCI's disciplinary committee relied on. It also said that it's only conducting a judicial review and is not sitting as an appellate authority over BCCI's decision.

The right-arm fast-medium bowler played 27 Tests, 53 ODIs and 10 T20Is for India, taking 87, 75 and 7 wickets respectively.

He last played for India in a Test match against England at The Oval in August 2011.