Sreesanth acquaintances put on the spot

KOCHI: To Shanthakumaran Sreesanth’s friends, the fast bowler’s career has been one of ups and downs but they believe he has never deviated from the path of gentlemanliness. After his arrest by the Delhi police on the accusations of match-fixing, the 30-year-old Rajasthan Royals player is still regarded by many in Kerala as a much-misunderstood man.


While studying in Class XI, Sreesanth decided to migrate to Bangalore for a better career in cricket because in India’s IT capital he would be able to play with more accomplished players.

His talent was spotted and was able to join the National Cricket Academy. He was soon selected to the MRF Pace Foundation and made his first class debut in 2002-03. “From then onwards his career graph showed a rise,” says N Ajith Kumar, who has held various posts in the Ernakulam District Cricket Association and Kerala Cricket Association.

Sreesanth made his test debut against England in 2006 and has also represented IPL sides Punjab and Kochi. Sreesanth’s behaviour on and off the field have always made the news. His run-in with Australian Andrew Symonds, altercation with Harbhajan Singh that led to the infamous “slapping” incident, problems on the field with South Africans Hashim Amla and Andre Nel were just a few of the controversies that Sreesanth created. Yet, his commitment to the game was never under question.

“Similar charges made against Ajay Jadeja and Md Azharuddin were dismissed by the court,” Kumar said. After his stint in 2009 at Warwickshire Sreesanth was a changed man, both as a player and as a human being, he pointed out. Not just his colleagues from cricketing world, even acquaintances from the corporate sector are in disbelief.

“Knowing him I don’t think he will get involved in such an unlawful activity,” said TG Muthoot, director of the Muthoot Pappachan Group. Sreesanth was the brand ambassador of the group for about two-and-a-half years. “I always had high regard for him and his family,” he said. Sreesanth’s brother-in-law Madhu Balakrishnan, a prominent playback singer, alleged a “conspiracy” and said that the incident will affect his marriage plans.

Sreesanth’s father Santhakumaran Nair even claimed that Indian skipper MS Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh are behind a “conspiracy”, but later retracted the accusation.