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Excited at the opportunity, says Sreesanth after path opens for Ranji Trophy return for Kerala

Excited at the opportunity, says Sreesanth after path opens for Ranji Trophy return for Kerala this season, expected to start in September.

Excited at the opportunity, says Sreesanth after path opens for Ranji Trophy return for Kerala this season, expected to start in September

Bengaluru, June 18: Pacer S Sreesanth, for the first time in more than seven years, is primed to play First-Class cricket as the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) is all set to include him in the probables' list for the Ranji Trophy this season, expected to start in September.

Sreesanth, 37, last played competitive cricket way back in the IPL in 2013, a year in which he was arrested for spot-fixing along with two other Rajasthan Royals players Ankit Chavan, Ajit Chandila.

Since then Sreesanth was engaged in a long-drawn legal battle and maintained his innocence in the entire episode. Subsequently, the Board of Control for Cricket in India had imposed a life ban on him. However, a Delhi special court acquitted him of all charges in 2015 but the BCCI ban on the fast bowler continued to exist.

Sreesanth went to court to appeal against the life ban on him and in 2018 the Kerala High Court lifted the life ban on him and asked the BCCI to reduced the quantum of punishment, prompting the BCCI to reduce the ban to seven years with roll back effect. It meant that ban on Sreesanth will end on September 2020, making him eligible to play all levels of cricket from that month.

"I am really excited at this opportunity. I am really indebted to the KCA for giving me this chance to appear in the Ranji Trophy. I will prove my fitness and return to the game. It is time for all the controversies to take a backseat and hopefully everything will come good," said Sreesanth after the KCA named him in the Ranji Trophy probables.

Kerala has appointed former India pacer Tinu Yohannan as coach this year after parting ways with Dav Whatmore, who took over as the cricket director of Baroda. KCA has always maintained that it will give Sreesanth an opportunity once the ban period ends and secretary Sreejith Nair had said his experience will come handy for the Kerala team.

The KCA has decided that he will be considered for selection once his ban ends in September," newly appointed Kerala Ranji coach Tinu Yohannan told IANS.

"However, his selection into the team will depend on his fitness levels. He has to prove his fitness. Right now, nothing is happening outdoors in terms of cricket activities. Unless we go out on the field and see him play, test his fitness, its difficult to say at the moment," he added.

Story first published: Thursday, June 18, 2020, 13:37 [IST]
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