IPL spot-fixing live: BCCI slaps life ban on Sreesanth, Chavan

1710 IST: Kerala media react to Sreesanth’s ban

The news of life ban on Sreesanth has dominated all the news channels in Kerala, Firstpost editor G Pramod Kumar tells us. Almost all the commentators and observers, some of them former Kerala Cricket Association office bearers and others state level players, said that the BCCI should have waited for the Delhi court’s verdict before taking a decision. It was unfair that they went by the same evidence of the Delhi Police that came in for severe criticism from the court.

There was no immediate reaction from Sreesanth or his family. News channels recalled that the cricketer was really optimistic about the the outcome of the BCCI investigation. He reportedly had told the news channels in the state that he would come out clean.

IST 1640: Full text of BCCI statement on spot-fixing sentences

The Disciplinary Committee of the BCCI, comprising Mr. N. Srinivasan, Mr. Arun Jaitley and Mr. Niranjan Shah, inquiring into the allegations of match-fixing against certain players, held a hearing on 13.9.2013, at Hotel ITC Maurya Sheraton, New Delhi.

After considering the evidence on record and hearing each of the Players in person, the Disciplinary Committee has passed the following order: -

1. Mr. Amit Singh is banned for a period of five years from playing any representative Cricket, or in any way being associated with the activities of the BCCI or its affiliates.

2. The case against Mr. Harmeet Singh has been closed in the absence of evidence against him.

3. Mr. Siddarth Trivedi is banned for a period of one year from playing any representative Cricket or in any way being associated with the activities of the BCCI or its affiliates.

4. Mr. Ankeet Chavan is banned for life from playing any representative Cricket, or in any way being associated with the activities of the BCCI or its affiliates.

5. Mr. S. Sreesanth is banned for life from playing any representative Cricket, or in any way being associated with the activities of the BCCI or its affiliates.

Sanjay Patel Hony. Secretary BCCI

IST 1630: BCCI hands Sreesanth, Chavan life ban for spot-fixing

Sreesanth’s cricket career appears to be over, with the BCCI handing him a life ban for spot-fixing in the IPL. Clearly his testimony to the BCCI did not sway the disciplinary committee.

Ankeet Chavan has also been handed a life ban, according to reports.

Sreesanth says he has not been told anything. He says he is sure he will be able to play cricket again.

Amit Singh has been given a five year ban for his part in the spot-fixing racket, while Siddharth Trivedi has been given a one-year ban for not reporting that he was approached by fixers. Meanwhile 21-year-old Harmeet Singh has been completely cleared of all charges.

1550 IST: Rajasthan Royals running fan campaign for CLT20

The Rajasthan Royals seem to be steering clear of any mention of the BCCI’s disciplinary hearings despite three of their players being involved. The team is running a campaign ahead of the CLT20, which starts on 17 September. We are guessing none of the autographed caps will be signed by Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan or Ajit Chandila.

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1530 IST: Sreesanth continues to claim he did nothing wrong

Sreesanth has finished giving his testimony to the BCCI’s disciplinary committee, saying he has given his side of the story, according to NDTV.

Sreesanth’s Rajasthan Royals’ team-mates, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan, have also been charge sheeted by the Delhi Police, but only Chavan should appear before the board today as Chandila was only given bail recently and has not yet been questioned by Sawani.

The other players who will be presenting their side to the board today are Amit Singh, Siddharth Trivedi and Harmeet Singh.

Harmeet Singh’s lawyer, Ashok Paranjpe of MDP&Partners, told Firstpost that his client is innocent and was unaware of what Chandila and his friends were planning. Harmeet wanted his lawyer present at today’s meeting but the BCCI refused to allow it.

1300 IST: BCCI president N Srinivasan arrives in Delhi for Disciplinary Committee meeting

Beleaguered BCCI President N Srinivasan, who was forced to step aside due to the IPL spot-fixing scandal, arrived in New Delhi to attend the Board’s Disciplinary Committee meeting to deliberate on the fate of the cricketers implicated in the scandal today. Srinivasan is part of the committee, which is headed by Arun Jaitley and also comprises Niranjan Shah. Both Jaitley and Shah are Board vice-Presidents. The committee will deliberate on BCCI Anti-Corruption Unit chief Ravi Sawani’s report on the scam that shamed the Twenty20 league.

The one-man Sawani panel investigated allegations that the three players conceded a pre-determined number of runs per over in exchange for money during the IPL this year. The players, who also served jail time after being arrested by the Delhi Police, are Test pacer S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan.

Sawani has reportedly held the trio guilty in his investigative report. All three of them played for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL but their contracts were terminated by the franchise after the scandal broke out. The trio has already arrived for the meeting after being summoned by the committee. After examining Sawani’s report, the Disciplinary Committee will present the findings at the BCCI annual general meeting to be held on September 29.

Sawani had earlier submitted an interim report, which was put on hold by the BCCI as he had not spoken to Chandila, who was in judicial custody till a few days ago. Chandila, who was granted bail on August 6 for two days to perform the last rites of his deceased brother, has denied the charges. The other two implicated players have also maintained their innocence after coming out on bail.

Srinivasan, meanwhile, suffered a legal setback yesterday when the Supreme Court deferred for two weeks hearing on petitions relating to controversy over the appointment of panel to probe the IPL spot-fixing scam in which BCCI has challenged the Bombay High Court order holding as illegal board’s two-member committee.

PTI

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