Sreesanth seeks Kerala High Court clarification on NOC

Kochi: Cricketer S. Sreesanth on Friday moved Kerala High Court seeking clarification whether he was entitled to get a no objection certificate from the Board of Control for Cricket in India for playing for a cricket club in premier league matches in Scotland. Sreesanth argued that NOC from the BCCI was mandatory for playing in the Scottish premier league and the BCCI gave no response when he applied for one. He contended that he was eligible to get an NOC as the court had earlier ordered lifting of the life ban BCCI had imposed on him.

The High Court recently had directed BCCI to lift the ban imposed on Sreesanth in the alleged spot betting scandal in which he was arrested. “If the evidence as a whole is appreciated, it can easily be concluded that Sreesanth had no direct link in spot fixing or betting," the court had said. It also held that there was no materials or evidence before the disciplinary committee to conclude that Sreesanth was guilty of the violation of the anti-corruption code formulated by the BCCI.

The committee relied on circumstantial evidence and it ought to have been careful while analysing evidence especially when the deal itself had failed to work out. Sreesanth was banned after an IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab at Mohali on May 9, 2013. It was alleged that Sreesanth had agreed to concede 14 or more runs in the second over of his bowling spell and the bookies offered Rs 10 lakh to him.