Published: Nov 26, 2020, 11:34 PM (IST)
Edited: Nov 26, 2020, 07:34 PM (IST)
Former India pacer S Sreesanth will return to competitive cricket with a local T20 tournament organised by the Kerala Cricket Association, his first after completing a seven-year-ban on charges of match-fixing. Sreesanth, who was banned by the BCCI over his alleged involvement in spot-fixing in the IPL, features in the list of players for the T20 event in Alappuzha. His ban ended in September this year. He has been picked in the KCA Tigers team to be captained by state team skipper Sachin Baby in the tournament, a KCA official said.
According to the KCA, six teams–KCA Royals, KCA Tigers, KCA Tuskers, KCA Eagles, KCA Panthers and KCA Lions- – have been selected by a committee constituted for the inaugural KCA President’s Cup T20 tournament. Besides, Sreesanth and Baby, prominent players like Basil Thampi, Rohan Prem, Midhun S, KM Asif and other senior state players will be featuring in different teams, KCA said.
“The teams are a mixture of youth and experience. The tournament is expected to produce keen contests and provide a platform for many aspiring cricketers to showcase their skills,” a KCA press release stated.
This will be Sreesanth’s comeback on the cricket field after serving the ban, which ended in September this year. The 37-year old bowler had earlier said that he intends to resume at least his domestic career at the end of the ban and his home state Kerala has promised to consider him if he manages to prove his fitness.
KCA said it was waiting for the nod from the government authorities for conducting the tournament in Alappuzha from December 17, 2020 to January 3, 2021, adhering to COVID-19 protocols.
