Sreesanth and Team India - The Bridges Have Already Been Burnt

Jog your memories back to 2010, Durban.

S. Sreesanth ran up, dug the ball into the deck. The ball kissed the good length spot and kicked up awkwardly. Jacques Kallis - initially camping on his front foot - tried to shift his weight back but couldn't get out of the way. He got into the weirdest tangle of his life with his body arched backward into a C-shape. (Sreesanth Discharged in IPL Spot-Fixing Case)

Not often do we see a batsman of Kallis get flummoxed . That day he did and Sreesanth bowled India to a rare Test victory on South African soil.

Now, fast forward to IPL 2013. Sreesanth undid all his goodwill by placing a towel at the wrong place. He went to jail, got bail and finally, on July 25, 2015, he was acquitted off the charges of spot-fixing.

From brilliance to mindlessness - that's been Sreesanth's story so far. (IPL Spot-Fixing, Top-10 Developments)

Now, he's a free man. The Patiala House Court has dismissed all charges against him and he wants to play cricket again. Although, according to his own admission, he doesn't harbour 'big' dreams, the thought of donning the Indian Blues might have again appeared in the horizon. (Wanted to Clear Myself: Sreesanth)

So, the big question beckons - can he make an India comeback? (Ganguly Happy After Court Drops Charges Against Sreesanth)

The possibilities are bleak because the bridges have already been burnt by Sreesanth, himself! (Spot-Fixing Scandal: Players Hope to Return to Cricket)

First, the court may have dismissed the charges but the BCCI ban still stands and with the new regime, it seems to be an uphill task for Sreesanth.

Secondly, the Indian cricket team is brimming with fast bowling options. The emergence of Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron, Mohammad Shami, Mohit Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar has created many options for the selectors to pick from. Then, there are fringe pacers like Dhawal Kulkarni, Sandeep Sharma, Pankaj Singh and Shardul Thakur who are lurking around for a rare opportunity.

Thirdly, neither Virat Kohli or MS Dhoni are massive fans of Sreesanth.

Andrew Symonds and Sreesanth: One of the many on-field battles!

© AFP

Sreesanth has always been one of those difficult characters who had lived his life on the edge. He has been an close aid to controversies and he is perhaps one of those few cricketer who has never received much support even from his own team-mates.

But can one really blame them for not standing by him?

Not quite, Sreesanth made it easy for them by his 'hot-headed' antics. He made for great television viewing but at times, even the viewers had enough of him. It was fun to watch him dance in front of Andre Nel. The fans were entertained by him going after Andrew Symonds but giving a send-off to Matthew Hayden after being clobbered for three sixes, well!

Cricket needs characters to liven up the game but when those characters overstep the line time and again, even the game gives up on them.

Previously, Dhoni has been left red-faced often by the temperamental pacer but Captain 'Cool' rarely reacted. In Kohli's reign, a 'hot-head' like Sreesanth will be met with much less patience because Kohli would be at-his-face, always.

However, his tantrums aside, just in terms of talent, Sreesanth was a gifted one. He had a deadly outswinger and it was a shame that those wrists that took the ball away from the right handers had to be wrapped around hand-cuffs.

Being acquitted must bring a great sense of relief to Sreesanth but making a comeback in India colours might just be not a possibility. The court might believe in his innocence but the Indian fans are a tough lot. It would take a lot more than emotional television interviews to restore them faith, again!