Sreesanth is back in Kochi, cleared of charges, to a rousing reception and with his head held high. He insists in typical, aggressive style that he will play for India again, in an exclusive chat. “I am starting my training at 3.30 p.m. today,” he announces.
How realistic is his ambition, now that so many younger cricketers are knocking at the doors of the selectors? “I have always been unrealistic. I know a lot of people have written me off but I will wait patiently. Right now I am happy to be home and realise life is more important but that it is not going to be the same again for me.”
He is aware of the announcement by the BCCI that it may not revoke the ban on him immediately but he says he is not in a hurry as he has to get back to complete shape. “I will focus on my fitness, especially my cardiovascular efficiency which will help me bowl fast,” he says. He adds thanks to his trainers, Naushad and Rajesh T.P. in Kochi and Sreedhar in Mumbai, he has been keeping himself reasonably in shape the last two and a half years when he could not enter the stadiums.
He adds that he has played cricket off and on with his brother Deepu’s team called C3, musician’s cricket league in which his brother-in-law Madhu Balakrishnan is involved and also had taken part in a tournament for media persons in Kochi. He reels of the names of family and friends who have stood by him through thick and thin and singles out Sachin Joshi of Telugu Warriors for having been a “pillar of support”.
Did his former colleagues of the Indian team ever call him and offer their support or did they avoid him? “Some called, though off the record. Others stayed away but I understand it. I would have probably done the same. Yesterday a lot of support poured in and I am sure all my old colleagues will be with me again.”
“Tough 27 days,” is all he says about his stint in Tihar jail. “I am not even thinking about it.” He doesn’t want to confirm or deny the report that an attempt was made on his life while he was in jail. “I don’t want to talk about it, now or ever again,” and says that he hopes the conspiracy theories about it all being organised by vested interests are not true. “But the stint made me stronger as a person. It made me realise the importance of blood relations. When I was named, there was criticism in the outer circle but the inner circle was with me, so that helped me tide over the crisis.”
He also thinks it was crucial that the girl of his life, his wife Bhuvaneshwari Kumari, stood by him. “My father-in-law was there in court when I was sent to jail. He told me not to worry. The wedding that was slated for September was put off to December but they never changed the groom. I can’t ever repay them.”
What about compensation for him for the crucial two and a half years that were taken away from his cricketing career? “No one can compensate or bring back the years. But I am cricketer Sreesanth and I will never go against the cricket board,” he says, making it clear he will not file any case to claim compensation for the loss and ignominy that he was made to suffer.
In hindsight, did he play the game too aggressively and what would be his advice to budding cricketers on the basis of his bitter experiences? “Play with all your heart but use your brains too and stay with the right people,” he signs off.
