Sreesanth arrives in Kerala to tumultuous welcome

Following four weeks of controversy and uncertainty over legal battles, S Sreesanth returned to the comforts of home in Kochi on Wednesday.

The cricketer, while expressing his faith in the judicial system of the country and dodging questions on his alleged links to crime syndicates, maintained that his arrest in connection with the spot-fixing scandal in the Indian Premier League (IPL) was the result of a “conspiracy”.

“I was arrested as part of a conspiracy. I’ll wait for the right time, and when everything is sorted out, I’ll come out with the details,” Sreesanth told reporters at the residence of his brother-in-law and singer Madhu Balakrishnan.

Sreesanth repeatedly spoke about patience that would define his wait for justice, and said that he would continue his training. “I love this game; I’ve given it my best. I’ll ensure that my training is not interrupted,” he said.

The Indian speedster arrived in Kochi after a court in Delhi granted bail to him and 18 others accused in the case on Tuesday.  Sreesanth said he wanted to erase memories of the last four weeks and move on. “I wouldn’t even want enemies to experience what I went through (at the Tihar prison),” he said.

He claimed that he had the support of his team-mates, who were in touch with him, and thanked the management of his IPL team Rajasthan Royals. Before the excitement over Sreesanth’s bail could settle, the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) stated that it would watch the events closely before committing on a stand.

KCA secretary T C Mathew told Deccan Herald on Wednesday that the association officials who were in New Delhi to find details of the case felt that invoking the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act was too harsh a measure on Sreesanth. 

Mathew, however, added that the association would wait for the outcome of the Board of Control for Cricket in India probe into the scandal and stand by the board’s decision.

One more held in spot-fixing

The Special Cell of Delhi Police have arrested a 35-year-old man in Mumbai for his alleged involvement in the Indian Premier League spot-fixing case. It brings the total number of arrests in connection with the case to 27, reports DHNS from New Delhi.