BCCI refuses to revoke ban on cricketers

New Delhi, July 29

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 and spinner Ankeet Chavan in the wake of a Delhi Court dropping all charges against them in the IPL 2013 spot-fixing case.

All the 36 accused persons, including Sreesanth, Chavan and Ajit Chandila, were discharged in the IPL-6 spot fixing case by 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 Anurag Thakur said there will be no rethink on the life ban of the two cricketers.

"The earlier decision of BCCI's disciplinary committee ban on this case will stay on," Anurag Thakur told reporters.

"Disciplinary proceedings are different, criminal proceedings are different. The action taken in the past was based on the disciplinary action for the indiscipline of these players, reports submitted by the anti-corruption unit. So the same decision of ban will continue on these players," he said.

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. —PTI