People have made bigger mistakes than Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul but have got away, feels S Sreesanth

The BCCI has suspended Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul in the middle of the Australia tour and has asked them to come back after Hardik received flak from all around the country and abroad because of his misogynistic comments on women during chat show “Koffee with Karan”. Rahul had to face the punishment for appearing in the same show and they have been replaced by Vijay Shankar and Shubman Gill till the end of the New Zealand tour.

Meanwhile, Sreesanth has spoken against them saying that the comments were wrong but at the same time has expressed his disappointment over the suspension saying that many in the past have committed bigger mistakes but are still active in their respective fields. 

"Yes, what happened was wrong. They said some wrong things. But there are others whose have made bigger mistakes than these, who are still playing and are in different fields not just cricket. The same people are speaking about this. When they see an opportunity they pounce on it like tigers," Sreesanth told IANS.

"I will only say that whatever happened was very bad, but the World Cup is around the corner. Both Hardik and Rahul are both good cricketers. I will only say to Hardik and Rahul, that surely they are both match-winners and sooner or later they will be back on the field. Yes, I know how difficult it is for a cricketer to miss the game and I just hope BCCI allows them to play, once they realise I am sure they should be playing where they should be playing.”

Sreesanth, who was banned for life by the BCCI after the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal, is hopeful of returning to play first-class cricket once his ban is lifted by the board. 

"On top of that, if my ban gets lifted this month or next month, then I will be the happiest. If not, I will call it a day because a lot of youngsters are there and it will be great for Indian cricket as well as my Kerala state. I should not be hanging around because I am Sreesanth and the ban got lifted. I will be more than happy with all the respect. If I am not doing well, I will walk away from the game," Sreesanth said.

Speaking about his political career, the Kerala cricketer said, "I will also use my popularity to lift my party (BJP). My party is like a family to me. I will work with them.”