Kerala High Court on Friday has sent notice to country’s cricket governing body Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), following the petition filed by Indian fast bowler S Sreesanth on Wednesday, to lift the lifetime ban which was imposed on him after he was accused of match-fixing during the lucrative Indian Premier League in 2013 season.
The Kerala-born 34-year-old fast bowler had filed the petition and requested the court while challenging the lifetime ban imposed by BCCI disciplinary committee in a bid to play for Scotland Cricket League in April this year.
Following the plea from the bowler, High Court wrote a letter to the BCCI – to revoke the lifetime ban which was imposed on Sreesanth.
Earlier, Sreesanth was denied for NOC to play in the Scottish league.
Sreesanth, who is known as ‘Gopu’ stated the trial court has also observed and heard the spot-fixing case that “no prima facie” case include in Section 3 of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) which was levelled against accused persons.
However, the then disciplinary committee was headed by current Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who had imposed the ban on a bowler.
Sreesanth was charged alongside Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandilan during the 2013 IPL fixing saga.
The 36 accused were acquitted in July 2015 by the Patiala Court including Sreesanth.
Sreesanth, who wants to resurrect his cricketing career was arrested and lodged in Tihar jail here in New Delhi in 2013.
On account of the life ban, Sreesanth cannot play even league cricket nor get access even for practice to any of the cricket grounds where the BCCI or the State Cricket Associations have a stake.
Following the life ban, Sreesanth remained away from cricket from the past four years and according to the life ban he would not have had participated or practised at the grounds which came under the rules and regulations of the BCCI or State Associations for Cricket.
Sreesanth, who made his international debut in 2006, played 53 One-day Internationals in which he had bagged 75 wickets at an average of 33.44. He played 27 Tests in which he claimed 87 wickets followed by seven wickets in 10 Twenty20 Internationals.
Sreesanth last played his international game against England in 2011 at The Oval.