India’s former pacer S.Sreesanth is all set to make a comeback into professional T20 cricket after 7 long years and is set to play in the President’s Cup T20 Tournament. Notably, Sreesanth’s ban from professional cricket ended in September this year. Sreesanth on Monday shared a heartfelt Twitter post for his fans as he wrote, “It’s just about time to roll my arms again giving the very best to the game I love the most .To all my lovely people;alwys remember”ur the best version of urself but make sure ur getting better nd better nd be the very best version please don’t ever give up” u r the #family”. Sreesanth is excited to feature in the tournament, slated to begin on December 17, and thanked Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) and selectors for giving him the opportunity.
“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. A total of 33 matches will be played during the 18-day competition and all will be day-games (two matches/day) with a white ball, colored clothing, and “played as per BCCI playing conditions”, KCA had said.
Sreesanth’s former teammates Suresh Raina and Irfan Pathan took to Twitter to wish the Kerala pacer on his return to professional cricket. Raina replied to Sreesanth’s post “Good luck my brother ! Go well and best wishes to you and your will ! Respect”. Pathan also commented on the same post “Good luck. keep punching the fist in the run-up ;)”. Sreesanth was banned by the Board of Contol for Cricket in India (BCCI) for a lifetime in August 2013 along with his Rajasthan Royals teammates Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan for indulging in alleged spot-fixing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) that year. However, last year his lifetime ban was reduced to seven years, which was completed in September this year.