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After exoneration, cricketer Sreesanth takes to nets
Kochi, July 26
A day after he was exonerated
by a court in Delhi in the 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL) spot fixing
case, former Indian pacer S. Sreesanth on Sunday started his first
workout in the nets here.
Cheered by a good number of his friends
and cricket enthusiasts, Sreesanth turned out on Sunday evening in a
blue track suit at the Edapally High School ground where the Ernakulam
Cricket Club, his former club, has a net.
Before starting his
first full net session in almost two years, Sreesanth said it will take
him about three weeks to become match-fit.
He bowled and batted
and proved that he has not lost anything in the almost two years of
being entangled in the case, wherein he even had to spend time in
Delhi's Tihar jail.
It was on Saturday evening that the Delhi
Patiala House court cleared Sreesanth of all charges in the 2013 IPL
spot fixing scandal.
Earlier in the day at 9.30 a.m, he arrived
at the airport here and was given a warm welcome by his relatives,
friends and well wishers.
An hour later it was all hugs and
smiles at his residence where his parents and close relatives gave him
the much needed moral support.
"I take this opportunity to thank
each one of my well wishers who stood behind me in my time of suffering.
This is a sort of a second life for me and for me now even if it's
tennis ball cricket, I will take part to get back to full fledged
cricket," said Sreesanth.
Meanwhile, he was yet to get any
positive vibes from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and
hence he will have to wait a while to get back into full-fledged
cricketing activities.
BCCI vice president and Kerala Cricket
Association (KCA) president T.C. Mathew said that since he was out of
town he will be able to write to the BCCI only on Monday requesting the
lifting of the ban on Sreesanth.
"If need be, a delegation of the
KCA will travel to meet the top BCCI officials to take up the case of
Sreesanth and to see that the ban is lifted," Mathew told reporters.
Rebecca
John, counsel for Sreesanth said Sreesanth has nothing to fear even if
the Delhi Police approach any higher court with an appeal.
"They
are free to go ahead with the appeal but we will see that they are given
a stronger setback," said John to the media in Delhi on Sunday.