Banned S Sreesanth finds support in home state Kerala

Former India pacer S Sreesanth, who was handed a life ban by the BCCI on Friday for his role in the IPL spot-fixing scandal, has found support in his home state of Kerala. "You wait and see, the BCCI will soon cut a sorry figure because all what they did was to take out the Delhi police case version, as they ( BCCI) have a 'zero tolerance policy'," former Kerala Cricket Association secretary K. Ajith Kumar told the media in Thiruvananthapuram in Friday.

Former international umpire K.N. Raghavan also questioned the haste with which the BCCI handed out the ban. "This is a cruel act by the BCCI. The trial has just begun and Sreesanth did attend the court and what was the hurry for them to do this. They could have waited for the verdict. Just imagine what would happen if Sreesanth is exonerated by the court, who would repay his loss as he is a professional," Raghavan said. (It's a victory for cricket: Dalmiya)

Meanwhile Sreesanth, who maintains he has 'done no wrong', has received the backing of his family, who are looking at legal options to contest the ban. "It is surprising that the BCCI has given Sreesanth such a harsh sentence," his brother Deepu was quoted as saying by a national daily. "The court has not given its judgement on the alleged match-fixing case. But the board has acted in a hasty manner. All I can say is that Sreesanth has done nothing wrong," Deepu added.

Sreesanth is a revered figure in his home state, but many Kerala cricketers are saddened by the recent turn of events. VA Jagadeesh, who was part of the India A side that beat New Zealand A recently said, "It's unfortunate and I don't know how to react. I have played with him for Kerala and he is a cricketer who has given his heart on the field."

(With agency inputs)