A player banned by his parent body cannot play for any other country, BCCI clarifies to Sreesanth

Yesterday, Sreesanth stated that he will look to represent other countries if he is not allowed to play for India by the BCCI as there is still a lot of cricket left in him. Three days ago, a division bench of the Kerala High Court restored the life ban imposed on him by the BCCI. However, the BCCI blew off his desire to play cricket again for another country.

CK Khanna, the BCCI acting president cited the rules of International Cricket Council (ICC) in order to clarify that Sreesanth is not permitted to play for another country since the Kerala High Court upheld the lifetime ban imposed by the parent cricket board.

"Any player banned by his parent body cannot play for any other country, ICC rules very clear... Rules, regulations and the legal position is quite clear," Khanna was quoted as saying by TOI.

Earlier in the day, the 34-year-old revealed his desire at to return to cricket by playing for another country.

"BCCI has imposed the ban, not ICC", said Sreesanth.

In an interview with Asianet News, Sreesanth hinted that since BCCI has banned him from playing in India and not ICC, he is free to play cricket for any other country. He also called the Indian cricket board a private firm.

"BCCI has imposed the ban, not ICC. If not India, I can play for any other country, because of 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."

"So, if I play for any other country, it probably may be the same. Yes, representing Kerala in Ranji Trophy is different. I had hoped to win Ranji Trophy, Irani for Kerala, but the decision rests upon the BCCI."

Earlier in August, a single bench of the court had revoked the ban on Sreesanth owing to the fact that “no material or evidence before the disciplinary committee to conclude that Sreesanth was guilty of a violation of the anti-corruption code formulated by the BCCI”. However, the ban was restored this week and the division bench claimed that the court cannot conduct a reappraisal of the evidence that BCCI's disciplinary committee relied on. It reasoned that the court is only conducting a judicial review and is not sitting as an appellate authority over BCCI's decision.

The ban for life came for Sreesanth following allegations of spot-fixing during an Indian Premier League match in 2013.