S Sreesanth inspired by Ashish Nehra to play for India in 2023 World Cup at the age of 38

Indian pacer S Sreesanth last represented India in 2011. For his alleged involvement in the spot-fixing scandal in tje Indian Premier League 2013 (IPL 2013) during his time at Rajasthan Royals, the cricketer was banned for seven years by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). While his ban would end in August this year, S Sreesanth might just have to wait a little longer to make a comeback into the field as the ongoing coronavirus crisis continues to impact worldwide cricketing activities.

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IPL 2013 spot fixing: S Sreesanth recalls his “nightmare” phase

In a recent interview with Rediff, S Sreesanth opened up about his time away from the game and talked about his prospects of donning the ‘Men in Blue’ jersey again. While recalling the time when he was arrested for the IPL 2013 spot fixing controversy, the cricketer said that people often tell him to forget the moment when police came knocking at his door. He admitted that those times were very sad and hard for him, his family as well as for his fans.

S Sreesanth then revealed that he had to wait two-and-a-half years since the controversy began to be given a clean chit. He described that period as a nightmare where he felt as close to “dying”. Later, S Sreesanth also expressed his gratitude towards the BCCI Ombudsman Justice D K Jain for reducing his ban from a life term to seven years.

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IPL 2013 spot fixing: S Sreesanth on his comeback

Despite being aged 37, S Sreesanth expressed full confidence of making a comeback into the Indian team. He cited the example of veteran Indian pacer Ashish Nehra, who played the 2011 World Cup at 38 years of age. He also finds inspiration in Indian tennis ace Leander Paes, who played till 47 and former Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq, who played till 42. S Sreesanth revealed that he is currently eying to play in the 2023 World Cup, which is scheduled to be played in India.

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S Sreesanth in IPL and international cricket

S Sreesanth began his IPL journey for Kings XI Punjab in 2008 and stayed with the franchise till 2010. The right-arm pacer then joined Rajasthan Royals in 2011 and played until the IPL 2013 spot fixing scandal, which began his downfall in cricket. He has taken 40 wickets across 44 IPL appearances.

Regarding his international career, the cricketer has played 27 Tests, 53 ODIs and 10 T20Is since his debut in 2005. He has taken 169 international wickets across formats and he is well-known for his aggressive approach with the ball. S Sreesanth holds a unique record of being the only fast bowler in the world to have been a part of a T20 World Cup and 50-overs World Cup-winning sides.

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