A Fife cricket club has been stumped in its efforts to sign one of the sport’s biggest names.
Officials at Glenrothes Cricket Club say they have been left in limbo in their efforts to bring star Indian bowler S. Sreesanth to the club after his latest attempt to have a lifetime ban from the game overturned was thwarted.
The 34-year-old was banned by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in 2013 for his alleged involvement in a spot-fixing scandal.
Though the former Test player was subsequently exonerated by the criminal courts, Sreesanth’s ban from playing the sport has remained in place, restricting him from even playing in Scotland.
Having developed a friendship with Glenrothes chairman Eddie Gibbs, Sreesanth had repeatedly stated his intention to move to Fife in the event that he would be allowed to return to the crease.
Despite being cleared of the spot-fixing allegations, an Indian court upheld the BCCI playing ban earlier this month, thwarting a huge coup for Scottish cricket.
Mr Gibbs told The Courier: “Following the quashing of the criminal case some two years previously, it was clear that the BCCI intended to appeal and get the ban restored.
“This is now what’s happened and Sreesanth has been invited to take his case to the Indian Supreme Court.
“Even though the player is not banned by the ICC and never has been, an unjust domestic ban in India is preventing him resuming his career overseas, so as things stand with the legal process rumbling on, there is little chance Sreesanth will be pitching up at Gilvenbank for Glenrothes anytime soon.”
Considered one of the world’s top bowlers, Sreesanth is also a Bollywood film star and married to Rajasthani royalty, but declared earlier this year that he was prepared to leave behind his millionaire lifestyle in India to play cricket in Fife.
Following the decision of the Kerala High Court earlier this month, he told his 1.1 million Twitter followers that he would keep fighting to reinstate his playing rights.
Mr Gibbs added: “The player has publicly promised that he will play for Glenrothes at the first opportunity he can, but whilst the BBCI are allowed to pull the strings we have to let the judicial system run its course and we have been left in limbo.”
