Indian speedster, Who has been facing a life ban from the BCCI, in spot-fixing, has expressed his view, to his fans, in an rather emotional note. Read here, what he has to say-
I’ve loved cricket for as long as I can remember. Growing up in India, there wasn’t a time when my friends and I weren’t playing with a bat and ball and whatever equipment we could find and marvelling at the exploits of players like Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly….the list goes on and on.
So you can imagine how frustrating and heartbreaking it has been for me to be denied the chance to play cricket at any level for the last four years because of an allegation which isn’t true and yet which has hit my world like a bombshell.
Just to be clear on this: I was accused of spot-fixing, but I vigorously denied any involvement or knowledge of it and I was cleared of any suspicion of wrongdoing in a law court in Delhi. That should have been enough to convince the Indian cricket board, the BCCI, to lift any ban on me and let me return to the field to play the game I love. But instead, they have gone into hiding, they have refused to see sense and have left me in a terrible state of limbo.
I still believe I have many qualities which could be of value to the sport and I would love to add to my collection of 27 Test caps and 53 ODIs. But, more importantly, I want to be able to walk onto a cricket pitch again and if I have to take this matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, I will do it. This may not be how I imagined my life would develop, but I am still only 34, I am as passionate about the sport as always and, if anything, my absence through circumstances outwith my control has only made me more determined to end this ridiculous situation.
Last summer, I spoke to Eddie Gibbs, an enthusiastic committee member at Glenrothes and it was clear he was a kindred spirit. When he mentioned that I should come over to Scotland at some point, and get involved in a few matches, we had a laugh about it, but the more I thought over his words, the more I thought “Why not?”
After all, I know that Scotland has a lot of interest in cricket. I saw them at the last World Cup in New Zealand in 2015 and they impressed me with their talent and dedication, because I realised life can be tough for the Associate nations because of the lack of opportunities at elite level.
Thereafter, the more I spoke to Eddie and looked into the thriving youth set-up at Glenrothes, I realised it would be a brilliant idea to travel to Fife and get involved at the grassroots again with people who genuinely love their cricket. Ever since it was suggested, I have been excited at the prospect. One of the great things about this wonderful game is that it doesn’t matter whether you are in India or Australia, England or Scotland; you have 11 players in a team, you have a universal set of rules, and if you have a pitch, a couple of umpires, and decent weather, you are on your way.
Glenrothes have made the offer and I’ve accepted it. This isn’t some gimmick or publicity stunt, far from it. I carried out a long interview with Eddie and his colleagues on CricIndex, and I want to do whatever I can to come to Scotland, meet the Glenrothes players, perform alongside them and, hopefully, pass on a few tips to their youngsters. I know that Rahul Dravid came to Scotland in 2003 and even turned out for the Saltires and if we can all spread the gospel together, that has to be a positive thing, doesn’t it?
I’m actually so committed to making this happen that I want to bring a couple of Scottish youngsters over to my homeland and give them a taste of cricket in Kerala. They’ll discover that the game is like a religion here, and they’ll never forget the experience. I’ve discussed this with Eddie and I hope it spells out my desire to get back into the swing of things on a cricket field.
Anybody who ever watched me on the international stage will know I always offered 100% of my heart and soul to my country. It helped me be part of a World Cup-winning side and that was one of the happiest moments of my life. Sadly, at least in terms of cricket, the last few years haven’t brought much joy.
Instead, I feel as if I have been victimised for a crime I didn’t commit. But the support of so many people all over the world and the messages of support have been a shining light in the darkness. They believe in me and I take succour from that fact.
It’s time now for me to be the master of my own destiny. I want to play for Kerala, and I want to play for Glenrothes and I will do so.
Be patient. It will work out for the best because I am not done with cricket. Not by a long way!
(the matter has been taken from sreesanth FB wall.)
