Ban on S Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan, Ajit Chandila to Stay: BCCI Secretary Anurag Thakur

The BCCI on Wednesday made it very clear that it was not having second thoughts on revoking the ban on former India pacer S Sreesanth, Mumbai spinner Ankeet Chavan, and Rajasthan off-spinner Ajit Chandila in the wake of a Delhi court dropping all charges against them in the Indian Premier League 2013 spot-fixing case. (Kerala Association to Ask BCCI to Lift Ban on Sreesanth)

All the 36 accused persons including Sreesanth, Chavan and Ajit Chandila were discharged in the IPL 6 spot-fixing case by the Patiala House Court last week but the Indian Board had refused to lift their ongoing ban.

The Kerala Cricket Association had made a plea to the BCCI for allowing Sreesanth to play again but Thakur said there will be no rethink on the life ban of the two cricketers. Earlier on Wednesday, it was reported that Chavan had written a letter to the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), requesting his ban be revoked and he be allowed to resume his cricket career. The MCA was set to meet on August 2 to discuss the request.

"The earlier decision of BCCI's disciplinary committee ban on this case will stay on," Thakur told reporters. "Disciplinary proceedings are different, criminal proceedings are different. The action taken in the past were based on the disciplinary action for the indiscipline of these players, reports submitted by the the anti-corruption unit. So the same decision of ban will continue on these players," he added. (Why Delhi Police Failed to Clean Bowl Sreesanth and Co.)

All the three accused cricketers had to spend time in jail during the course of investigation. Of the three, Sreesanth and Chavan are currently serving life bans imposed by the BCCI after the scandal shook the high-profile league, while Chandila's hearing is still on. (S Sreesanth Contemplated Suicide in Tihar, Wants BCCI to Drop Ban)