Corruption in the IPL---Sreesanth vows to return from 'biggest setback'

Corruption in the IPL

Sreesanth vows to return from 'biggest setback'

A day after he was hit with a life ban by the BCCI, Sreesanth has vowed to make a comeback. He called the ban the "biggest setback" of his life, and continued to maintain that he was innocent.

"The BCCI action is the biggest setback in my life and I am disappointed," he told reporters in Kochi. "I will try to overcome the crisis and make a strong comeback."

His brother Dipu Santh told ESPNcricinfo that Sreesanth's camp will wait on the court's verdict before deciding on a further course of action. "Sreesanth is not in a hurry to challenge the BCCI sanction," he said. "He wants to wait on the Delhi court that is hearing the case of spot-fixing registered by Delhi Police against him and the other Rajasthan Royals players. The Patiala House Court is expected to hear the case on October 7 and Sreesanth's camp is confident that he would be acquitted of the all the allegations pressed against him by Delhi Police. We will wait for the court decision on October 7 before deciding on our next step."

Dipu Santh said his brother was more surprised than shocked by the BCCI disciplinary committee's verdict: "He thought the BCCI might take action only after the court's verdict. He did not expect the BCCI to take a decision so early."

On Friday, the BCCI had handed Sreesanth and his Rajasthan Royals team-mate Ankeet Chavan life bans after ruling them guilty of spot-fixing during IPL 2013.

Sreesanth reiterated he was not guilty. "I can tell that I have not done anything wrong," he said. "The only consolation for me now is that I am at home, not in a jail."

On Saturday morning, he tweeted: "Plss have faith in me..I am sure I will prove my innocence soon....I will get through this..I ve full faith ..God is great."

Sreesanth, Chavan and another Royals player, Ajit Chandila, were arrested by Delhi Police on May 16 in Mumbai, for the alleged fulfilling of promises made to bookmakers, along with eleven bookies including Amit Singh. Royals later suspended their players and the BCCI set up an inquiry into the matter, headed by its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit chief Ravi Sawani. Apart from the action taken by the board, the players face possible prison sentences should they be found guilty in a court of law. They were among 39 persons named in the Delhi Police's chargesheet on alleged corruption in the IPL in July, charged with criminal conspiracy, cheating and dishonesty under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act. 

Sreesanth may be guilty, but where is the evidence? After he was arrested, each day media reported that strong evidences are collected by police against him. But nothing had been produced before the court. The court even asked the police that were he was framed. When he was sure to be granted bail, police suddenly came up with MCOCA law which kept him some more days in the jail. The charge was then removed by the court. Then the police requested to change the court and it was granted. I also believed that he was corrupt initially. But after smelling all these foul, now I have my doubts. After all, he was supposed to concede 14 runs in the over. But only 13 was scored in that over. In the first 4 balls only 5 runs were scored. If there was agreement, would a bowler wait for the last 2 balls to concede 9 runs, that too with clearly out of from gilchrist in the crease. And would the bookies pay the money for the bowler who conceded 1 runs lesser than the agreement. I have my doubts.  

At age 30, there will be no comeback for Sreesanth. That is obvious. And as far as guilty or innocent verdict goes I,as a reader and viewer of the media has not seen anything concrete yet. Above all, how can we , accept the continued presence of Sreenivasan in BCCI ? 30 lakhs rupees look peanuts, when we look at the corruption at the higher levels. I am in no way condoning the punishment for match fixing, but why is there no enquiry against Meiyappan or Sreenivasan ? If a genuine and honest ( LOL) enquiry is made, where do you think it will end ?

 

Corruption in the IPL Sreesanth gets life ban for IPL fixing

Corruption in the IPL

Sreesanth gets life ban for IPL fixing

India and Rajasthan Royals fast bowler Sreesanth has been handed a life ban by the BCCI for his alleged involvement in spot-fixing in IPL 2013. His Royals team-mate and Mumbai spinner Ankeet Chavan was also banned for life, following the board's disciplinary committee meeting in Delhi on Friday.

Amit Singh, the Gujarat cricketer-turned-bookie, got a five-year ban, while Saurashtra and Royals seamer Siddharth Trivedi is suspended for a year for not reporting an approach among other things. Twenty-one-year-old Harmeet Singh, who was part of India's Under-19 World Cup winning team in 2012 and had a similar charge against him as Trivedi, has been cleared of wrongdoing due to a lack of evidence against him.

There has been no ruling as yet offspinner Ajit Chandila, the third Royals player who was arrested in May, since he is yet to be questioned by Ravi Sawani, who led the BCCI's probe into the matter. Save for a few days when Chandila was out on bail due to a death in the family, he has been in police or judicial custody since his arrest on May 16, meaning Sawani could not speak to him. However, he was granted bail on September 9, so his case should come up soon. Sreesant and Chavan were out on bail since June 11.

Sreesanth tweeted soon after the news of his ban broke, saying he found it "surprising". "Been tracking the news channels... Me getting a life ban??!! Very surprising," he said. The tweet was deleted soon after.

While Trivedi is banned from playing any BCCI-organised cricket, the other three are banned from playing any such cricket or in any way being associated with activities of the Indian board or its affiliates.

The Sawani report had recommended bans ranging from five years to life for the four players it found guilty on multiple accounts, including "match-fixing" and "seeking or offering a bribe as a reward for match-fixing", the Indian Express reported earlier in the day. The final report adopted a tough tone, saying that none of the players were naive to the propositions of manipulation.

"There is no specific mitigating factor that would require any mercy while sanctioning the aforesaid guilty players," Sawani said in the report. "Sreesanth has played a number of international games and was part of the Indian national team which won the inaugural T20 World Cup, 2007 and ICC Cricket World Cup in 2011. He has received the ICC ACSU education programme on many occasions. In any case all the three players of Rajasthan Royals who are now being accused and found guilty by the under-signed received the ICC Education Programme just prior to the beginning of the IPL-6 season i.e. on April 5, 2013. The programme was delivered to the entire Rajasthan Royals team by Mr Arrie De Bear, regional security manager of the ICC ACSU.

"Obviously, the anti-corruption education given to the three players had no impact on the conduct. Therefore, the three players deserve no leniency whatsoever."

The players, minus Chandila, were summoned by the board to present their case in the disciplinary committee meeting in Delhi.

Sreesanth, Chavan and Chandila were arrested by Delhi Police on May 16 in Mumbai, for the alleged fulfilling of promises made to bookmakers, along with eleven bookies including Amit Singh. Royals later suspended their players and the BCCI set up an inquiry into the matter, headed by its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit chief Sawani. Apart from the action taken by the board, the players face possible prison sentences should they be found guilty in a court of law. They were among 39 persons named in the Delhi Police's chargesheet on alleged corruption in the IPL in July.