Former Test bowler S. Sreesanth. PHOTO: AFP
"S Sreesanth is banned for life from playing any representative cricket, or in any way being associated with the activities of the BCCI or its affiliates," the BCCI said in a statement after its disciplinary committee meeting in Delhi.
Sreesanth, who has played 27 tests, and two other players were arrested in May by Delhi police on suspicion of spot-fixing in the Indian Premier League.
Ankeet Chavan, Sreesanth's team mate in IPL franchise the Rajasthan Royals, was also banned for life. Domestic Indian cricketers Amit Singh and Siddharth Trivedi have been banned for five years and one year respectively, the board added.
The fourth player, Amit Singh, who played in the IPL till last year, was seen as the conduit between the cricketers and bookies, and described by Sawani as "the bad fish that spoils the entire pond".
All four players belong to the Rajasthan Royals franchise, but Sreesanth, 30, is the only one to have played for India. He was part of the teams that won the World Twenty20 in 2007 and the World Cup in 2011.
Gambling is mostly illegal in India, but betting on cricket matches thrives through networks of underground bookies. Spot-fixing, in which a specific part of a game, but not the result, is fixed, is also illegal.
COMMENTS (12)
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@sid : He was mediocore at his best , even Ishant Sharma would be better rated versus him. One or two performance dont define great bowlers if that would be the case then Rana Naveed , Sami on their best days would be labelled as Test great bowlers.
@Water Bottle “Sreesanth should be banned from TV appearances in such lewd shows as bigboss and lifetime ban on his dancing.”
I’m a bit surprised, coming as it is, from someone whose comments are mostly quite perceptive and less jingoistic, or xenophobic. Sreesanth has commited an offence for which he has been tried and the punishment has been handed. One can argue about the quantum of punishment, fair enough. But what it has got to do with his right to earn a living? Dispensing justice is not the same thing as extracting revenge.
A great and fair decision by BCCI. Let us hope that Pakistan does the same with our disgraced cricketers. Except Amir the others should be banned for life. These Indian players did not sell their country on cricket ground they only sold their local team. Our cricketer’s crime was much more serious with all their lies till the last appeal was exhausted.
It is right decision by BCCI to ban Sreesanth and Ankeet Chavan for life from any cricket related activity. Amit Singh, believed conduit between the cricketers & bookies, should also have been given same punishment instead of 5 year ban.
@sid - i dont recall any performance where the opposing team would be fearing Sreesanth's bowling.
Three good things happened today in India.
Sreesanth banned.
Modi named the PM candidate.
Death to Delhi rapists.
Now, we need another good news soon, Sreesanth should be banned from TV appearances in such lewd shows as bigboss and lifetime ban on his dancing.
@1984: If you are good at something never do it for free- The Joker (The Dark Knight)
Still strange how someone approached Sreesanth and gave him money to bowl badly when he usually does that for free!!!!
... and the silence ROARS!!!