Fast bowler Sreesanth is all set to end a seven-year-long sabbatical and resume his competitive cricketing career with the KCA President's Cup T20, starting December 17.
Banned for a lifetime by the BCCI for his alleged involvement in the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal, Sreesanth had last year gotten a huge relief when the Supreme Court asked the Indian board to shorten his ban period to seven years, the duration of which ended in September.
The cricketer has been training hard and looking after his body in excitement to step on the field again. He thanked Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) and the selectors for their support.
"Thanks to the Kerala Cricket Association. I am really grateful to the selectors as well for giving me the opportunity. It is a great initiative taken by the association. Thanks to the BCCI as well, it has been seven long years. I have been training really hard. I am looking forward to the tournament, it is going to be an amazing President's Cup," Sreesanth told ANI.
"I will keep giving my best because it is something that I have waited for seven long years... I am very confident, I think I am fitter than I was in 2011, when I played the World Cup," he added.
The KCA on Thursday (November 26) confirmed resuming its cricketing activities after a lengthy layoff amid COVID-19 pandemic with the T20 tournament, which will help with preparations for the upcoming senior domestic season. The association informed of having requested the state government for the permission to organise its own competition under strict health regulations.
"This inaugural T20 tournament will be an annual affair involving six teams selected by a committee constituted by KCA for this purpose. There shall be no franchisees or owners. Each team consists of 14 players and 2 support staff. There will also be 4 players 'on-call' for each team, if replacements are required," the association said in a media statement.
To be "played as per BCCI playing conditions", the KCA President's T20 Cup will feature 33 games played over 18 days. KCA Royals, KCA Tigers, KCA Tuskers, KCA Eagles, KCA Panthers and KCA Lions will be the teams taking part in it.
"All players, support staff and concerned officials shall be brought under a bio-secure environment to minimise the risk of infection through external contact," the statement further mentioned.
"Strict adherence to COVID-19 safety protocols will be ensured. For this purpose before the commencement of the tournament, KCA will conduct on-line workshops for players/officials, to educate them on the SoPs (standard operating procedures) and on-ground precautionary measures."
(Inputs from ANI)
