Mumbai: The iconic Shivaji Park, considered the nursery of Mumbai cricket, is just a stone’s throw away from his house, but the life ban meant that Ankeet Chavan could not hop onto the other side of the fence and join his teammates.
With a Delhi court acquitting him and two other cricketers — S. Sreesanth and Ajit Chandila — in the spot fixing scandal, Chavan hoped he would be able to put on the cricketing whites all over again.
“This is a very happy moment for me and my family that a positive result has come. We went through a very tough time in the last two years,” Chavan told this newspaper after returning home.
“It was his wife Neha, who stood by him like a rock and when the news of his acquittal trickled, she could not hold back her tears,” he added.
Chavan thanked his wife for her unconditional support. “It was hard for me to overcome the fact that I would not be able to play cricket. My family members and my wife supported me throughout. We stuck together. My wife has been a pillar of strength, putting up with all my tantrums.”
The left-arm spinner said he had been working on his fitness. “I won’t say I will have to start from scratch, but yes there has been a gap of two years. During this period, I have focused on my fitness. I knew the day the verdict would come, I should not be lacking on that front.”
The BCCI on Saturday said that they won’t be revoking the ban, but Chavan still has a glimmer of hope with the Mumbai Cricket Association deciding to write to BCCI to reconsider its decision. “I have not been able to talk to anyone yet as I returned late last night, but I am extremely happy to know that my state association is backing me. I hope the response will be positive.”
He said he had no grudges against anyone. “I don’t have any complaints against anyone. I just want to thank everyone who supported me,” he added.
