S Sreesanth Cannot Play For Any Other Country, Have to Abide by ICC Rules: BCCI

BCCI acting president CK Khanna cited International Cricket Council (ICC) rules to say that the Sreesanth cannot play for another country.

New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has hit back at S Sreesanth after banned cricketer revealed his desire to play for another country. Following allegations of spot-fixing during an Indian Premier League (IPL) game in 2013, the seamer was handed a life ban by the national cricket board.

Highlights

Following allegations of spot-fixing during an Indian Premier League (IPL) game in 2013, Sreesanth was handed a life ban by the national cricket board.
BCCI acting president CK Khanna cited ICC rules to say that Sreesanth cannot play for another country.
The Cricket board had filed a counter-affidavit on the issue in the court in response to the plea by Sreesanth, who had challenged the life ban despite a court dropping all charges against the pacer.

However, the BCCI acting president CK Khanna cited International Cricket Council (ICC) rules to say that Sreesanth cannot play for another country following the Kerala High Court order which upheld the lifetime ban imposed by the cricket board.

“Any player banned by his parent body cannot play for any other country, ICC rules very clear… Rules, regulations and the legal position is quite clear,” Khanna was quoted as saying by TOI.

Earlier, miffed with the ban, Sreesanth said that he may play for another country. “I have been banned by BCCI not International Cricket Council (ICC). So if not India I want to play for another country. I am already 34 years old and I can play another six years maximum. Since I love cricket, I want to play the sport somehow,” he was quoted as saying by Asianet News.

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“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,” he added.

On August 7 the Kerala High Court had ruled against the life ban imposed on him by the BCCI in the wake of the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal. The BCCI had filed a counter-affidavit on the issue in the court in response to the plea by Sreesanth, who had challenged the life ban despite a court dropping all charges against the pacer.

In its appeal, the BCCI had said the decision to ban the cricketer was taken based on the evidence against him.

Sreesanth last played for India in a Test match against England at The Oval in August 2011, while, overall the right-arm fast-medium bowler played 27 Tests, 53 ODIs and 10 T20Is for the nation, taking 87, 75 and 7 wickets respectively.