SC questions Sreesanth’s conduct in the entire spot-fixing scandal

The Supreme Court has raised doubts over the integrity of banned India pacer Sreesanth's claim of innocence on the spot-fixing charges levelled on the latter. Sreesanth, who was a part of the Indian world cup-winning squad in 2011 and also featured in the final against Sri Lanka, was handed a lifetime ban by the BCCI for his alleged involvement in the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal.

Fresh details have emerged that the apex Court has found the conduct of the former KXIP player not “good enough” as per normal standards. The SC also questioned the Kerala-born native as to why he did not inform BCCI officials when he was approached by external individuals to fix IPL matches.

“Why didn't you (Sreesanth) bring it immediately to the notice of the board (BCCI)?," the bench asked Sreesanth's lawyer Salman Khurshid after he referred to recorded telephonic conversations between alleged bookies.

“All this indicates that conduct of S Sreesanth was not good. There is no doubt about this," the bench further said as per PTI sources.

In reply to this, Sreesanth’s lawyer argued that as per allegations, he was supposed to concede 14 runs in an over but he gave away 13 runs in that over which he bowled to "two of the best batsmen", both being Australian cricketers - Adam Gilchrist and Shaun Marsh.

"At the worst, it could be said that I (Sreesanth) had the knowledge that somebody was trying to do fixing and I should have brought it to the notice of the authorities. If that is the case, the total ban could be up to five years," Khurshid argued.

Earlier, Sreesanth was discharged by a trial court in 2015 in a criminal case related to alleged spot-fixing. The bowler told the bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and KM Joseph that the life ban imposed on him by the BCCI was too harsh a punishment considering that there was no evidence to substantiate the claim that he was indulged in any illegality.