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The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) has taken disciplinary action against former Indian pace bowler and two-time World Cup-winner S Sreesanth, suspending him from all activities related to the association for a period of three years. This decision comes as a result of Sreesanth allegedly making false and derogatory statements against the KCA concerning the controversy surrounding Sanju Samson's exclusion from the Indian team for the Champions Trophy. The KCA announced this decision in an official statement following a special General Body meeting held in Kochi on April 30th. Notably, Sreesanth is currently a co-owner of Kollam Aeries, a franchise participating in the Kerala Cricket League.
KCA suspends S Sreesanth for three years
Prior to this suspension, show-cause notices had been issued to Sreesanth, as well as to the franchise teams Kollam Aeries, Alappuzha Team Lead, and Alappuzha Ripples, in response to the controversial remarks made by the former cricketer.
“Following the controversial remarks, the KCA had issued show-cause notices to Sreesanth and the franchisee teams Kollam Aries, Alleppey Team Lead content creator Sai Krishnan, and Alleppey Ripples. As the franchisee teams gave satisfactory replies to the notice, the meeting decided not to proceed with further action against them. However, the KCA instructed the team management to be vigilant when including members,” the KCA statement read.
Moreover, the General Body of KCA has decided to take a legal action and pursue a compensation claim against Sanju Samson's father, Samson Vishwanath, and two other individuals. This action is being taken in response to what the KCA describes as baseless allegations made using Sanju Samson's name.
The KCA had previously issued a show-cause notice to Sreesanth, a former member of India's World Cup-winning squads, regarding his statements made during a panel discussion on a Malayalam television channel. In these remarks, Sreesanth allegedly linked the state cricket body to the controversy surrounding Sanju Samson's team selections. In a subsequent clarification, the KCA stated that the show-cause notice to Sreesanth was not for expressing support for Sanju Samson, but rather for making misleading and defamatory comments against the cricket association itself. During the televised discussion, Sreesanth reportedly voiced his support for Sanju Samson and pledged to stand by him and other cricketers from Kerala. Simultaneously, he made accusations against the Kerala Cricket Association. These remarks were made against the backdrop of criticism directed towards the KCA for not including Sanju Samson in the Kerala squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy, a decision that many believed had negatively impacted his prospects of being selected for India's Champions Trophy team.
KCA clarified that the show-cause notice issued to Sreesanth was not due to his support for Sanju Samson. Instead, the KCA stated that the notice was a consequence of Sreesanth "making false and defamatory statements," which constituted a breach of his contractual obligations as the co-owner of the Kollam Sailors (previously Kollam Aeries) franchise in the Kerala Cricket League. In its response to Sreesanth's public comments, the KCA alluded to the infamous 2013 spot-fixing scandal involving the former India pacer. The KCA stated that it has consistently supported players, even during times of crisis, implying that this support extended even to those who were incarcerated, a clear jab directed at Sreesanth's past controversies.
“When Sreesanth was in jail facing allegations in the infamous match-fixing scandal, KCA officials visited and supported him. Although the court quashed the criminal case, it is a fact that he has not been acquitted in the match-fixing case. In such a situation, there is no need for Sreesanth to take up the protection of other players,” the statement further read.
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