BCCI ombudsman to rethink life ban sanction imposed on Sreesanth

Last month on March 15, the Supreme Court had issued a notice to BCCI’s disciplinary committee regarding the life ban imposed on former India pacer S Sreesanth. In its statement, the court had ordered the disciplinary committee to reconsider the quantum of punishment handed out to the player within a time period of three months.

Now, the apex court issued a statement on Friday which said that BCCI Ombudsman Justice (retd) D K Jain will reconsider the decision within three months of time regarding the quantum of punishment placed on the former Kerala cricketer. The bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and K M Joseph said this while hearing an application filed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The former Rajasthan pacer was given a life ban by the BCCI for his alleged involvement in the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal.

The Supreme Court further added that its verdict will have no bearing in the ongoing criminal proceedings against the cricketer at the Delhi High Court. The Delhi Police has challenged a trial court's order who discharged all accused in the spot-fixing scandal, including Sreesanth.

Last year, a single-judge bench of the Kerala High Court had lifted the life ban imposed on the 35-year-old after the division bench of the high court later restored the ban on a petition filed by the BCCI against the single-judge bench's order. The Indian governing body had made it known to the SC on February 28  that the life ban imposed on Sreesanth was "fully sustainable in law" as he had "tried to influence" a match.