The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) has taken disciplinary action against former Indian cricketer and World Cup-winner S. Sreesanth, issuing him a show-cause notice. KCA has alleged that Sreesanth made "false and defamatory" statements about the KCA during an interview with the Kerala media outlet Onmanorama. This controversy centers around the selection, or rather the non-selection, of Sanju Samson.
KCA issues show-cause notice to S Sreesanth
It all started after Sreesanth publicly criticised the KCA's decision to exclude Samson from Kerala's white-ball squad. Sreesanth not only voiced his support for Samson but also directly targeted the KCA, asserting that the decision to leave Samson out of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25 squad was unjust.
Some reports suggested that Samson's omission from India's squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is linked to his absence from the domestic 50-over tournament. The KCA has previously stated that Samson initially declined to participate in the Vijay Hazare Trophy before a last-minute change of heart.
KCA has now labelled Sreesanth's comments as false and damaging to their reputation. They clarified that the show-cause notice issued to Sreesanth is not because of his support for Sanju Samson, but rather due to his remarks breaching his contractual obligations as co-owner of the Kollam Sailors franchise in the Kerala Cricket League.
In a pointed response, the KCA brought up Sreesanth's past involvement in a spot-fixing scandal.They stated that the association has consistently supported players during difficult times, even when they were incarcerated, a clear reference to the former World Cup winner. This exchange is likely to escalate the existing tension between Sreesanth and the KCA.
“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,” KCA said in an official statement.
“It was only because of KCA’s protective approach that Sreesanth was given opportunities in matches, including the Ranji Trophy, after completing his sentence. It is worth investigating whether other associations have taken such a favorable approach towards players involved in match-fixing,” the statement further read.
Adding fuel to the fire, Sreesanth had also challenged the KCA to name any international players they had produced besides Sanju Samson. The KCA responded by criticizing Sreesanth's apparent lack of awareness regarding Kerala's cricketing accomplishments. They then listed several players from Kerala who have achieved notable success, including Sajna Sajeevan, Minnumani, Asha Shobana, Joshitha V.J. (a member of the Under-19 World Cup-winning team), Najla CMC (currently in the Under-19 team), and Mohammed Inan (part of the Under-19 Asia Cup team).