If not India, I can play for any other country, says S Sreesanth

What’s the story?

Banned Indian pacer S Sreesanth is looking around for options after the Kerala High Court restored the life ban imposed on him by the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

The Kerala pacer has said that he is now open to playing for any other country since the BCCI will not allow him to represent India.

"BCCI has imposed the ban, not ICC. If not India, I can play for any other country, because I 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," Sreesanth was quoted as saying during an event in Dubai.

The details

Sreesanth, who appears desperate to kick-start his career once again, put the blame squarely on the BCCI for jeopardising his career and said that even though he plays for Kerala, and hopes to win titles like Ranji and Irani with his state side, the final decision still rests with the BCCI.

Earlier too, Sreesanth had made attempts to get back into the big league when he had signed up to play league cricket for a club side in Scotland, at attempt which hit a dead end when the BCCI did not issue him a No Objection Certificate.

In case you didn’t know…

It has been a tumultuous week for the once-Indian pacer who suffered a huge jolt when the Kerala High Court comprising Chief Justice Navaniti Prasad Singh and Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan, gave the verdict on a petition filed by the Indian board against a single-judge bench's order, which lifted the ban imposed on the 34-year-old pacer.

This ruling has effectively ended any ambitions of him playing for the country ever again.

What’s next?

It would be interesting to see the next step, legal or otherwise, which Sreesanth resorts to, and whether or not it yields any desired results on his future.

Author’s take

The statement appears outlandish at face value considering the age of the person and the clout the BCCI exercises at the international level.

As per the ICC rulings on shifting countries, a player needs to fulfil a whole host of criteria to be eligible to play for any other country, something which might not be feasible for Sreesanth.