Happy to hear that Sreesanth has been acquitted by the court. But a doubt remains. Who is held accountable for stamping innocent sportspersons as criminals and pushing them into infamy? The verdict strengthens the arguments that there was a conspiracy behind branding Sreesanth as a conspirator.
It is not rare to accuse someone and then acquitting him in a court. In this case, however, the process wasted two years of a star who could contribute immensely to Indian cricket. The damage to his reputation was an even bigger loss. Who will account for these losses when the court finds him innocent?
Many stars have been involved in this case, but Sreesanth had the most to lose. He was the one with the most potential. How was such a player subjected to unprecedentedly harsh legal proceedings? We better probe it. The court has said that the prosecution could not submit a single piece of evidence to prove the allegations.
There is a reason to say that Sreesanth lost two invaluable years. A player, especially a pace bowler, is at the peak of his career between 29 and 32 years. This is the time when experience, maturity, stamina and technique converge.
Sreesanth was to lead India’s bowling after Zaheer Khan. Sreesanth’s skill was in consistently delivering excellent outswingers. He could bowl over 140 kilomeres/hour. There are not many cricketers like that even in the international arena. He could have played a key role in many tournaments, including the previous World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
There is no point brooding over it. Sreesanth and everyone who loves the game are awaiting his comeback. Sreesanth was haunted by an injury in his feet after the 2011 World Cup. I have seen him fighting back the pain in his love for the game after surgeries in both feet. The allegations and the case, however, would not let him continue.
Let us view things positively and think of the two lost years as a period of recovery from the injury.
An international pace bowler can play well up to 36 or 37 years, if he retains stamina and form. Sreesanth is 32 years old and has at least 4 or 5 years left in his career. There is no doubt he is fit for that. He requires mature planning as well as hard work to come back to form.
I have spoken to Sreesanth after the court order came out. He is happy, relieved and also excited. It is quite natural for him to get excited when he is allowed to play again after a ban. But he should be cautious.
Playing in all grounds and at all available opportunities may do him more harm than good. A player like Sreesanth needs no lessons in the game when he comes back. But the training has to resume in quality circumstances. He should focus on regaining his stamina while he waits for the BCCI to lift the ban. He would not find it difficult to regain his form given his skills and experience in international cricket. That is what we dream about.
(The writer is a former Indian Test cricketer)