Sreesanth Thought Of Suicide. He Now Wants To Play, But That Could Remain A Dream

After having been exonerated of charges of corruption in cricket during the 2013 Indian Premier League, former India pacer S Sreesanth is now breathing easy. An order from a Delhi court may have absolved him of any 'crime' but for the temperamental player the road back to cricket looks bumpy.

BCCL

Sreesanth spoke about the trauma he went through when he was arrested and put in Tihar jail after being accused of having nexus with a cricket betting racket, allegedly run by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his aide Chhota Shakeel. "Initially I thought about suicide. I could overcome because of my devotion to Lord Ettumanoorappan (Lord Shiva in Kerala's famous Ettumanoor Mahadevar temple) and the support given by my family," Sreesanth said.

BCCL

For Sreesanth, getting a clean chit from the judiciary might have been a 'hand of god' moment but what will really test his luck if he's allowed back on the cricket field. The chances of that happening though look bleak as BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur has clearly told that the life ban imposed on Sreesanth and Ankeet Chavan has not been lifted but can be contested if players take the legal route.

"Any Indian citizen can go to a court of law if they are not happy with any decision. Delhi police will go to the higher court to challenge the lower court verdict. I haven't received any representations from these players, so as of now the ban stays," Thakur told a website.

BCCL

Thakur's comments came in the wake of the Kerala Cricket Association's (KCA) request to BCCI to lift the life ban on Sreesanth. "Criminal proceedings are entirely different to disciplinary proceedings. The decision has been taken by the BCCI's disciplinary committee, not by a court of law. Action has been taken against the players on the report of our anti-corruption unit. As per the BCCI rules and regulations, the ban on these players will stay," Thakur said.

PTI

Despite the fact that the man who ordered arrest of Sreesanth and others two years back, former Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar, is Chief advisor to BCCI's Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU), the cricketer said, "After all he is also a human being. He has also got a heart."

Sreesanth said that if Kumar would recall the circumstances that led to his arrest in the IPL 6 scam, he would get a clearer picture. "I don't think he would put any hindrance on my path. After all, BCCI is a body, not an individual," he said. The Kerala right-armer had also said that he would not go to court to appeal against the BCCI in case the board is reluctant to lift the ban. "I will wait. I don't want to challenge any one. I want to play cricket," he said.

Sadly for Sreesanth BCCI has made it clear that without taking the legal course of action, his wish of playing cricket again could just remain a wish.

(With inputs from TNN)