Ankeet Chavan can play again after spot-fixing ban reduced to 7 years by BCCI
Ankeet Chavan, one of the three Rajasthan Royals players who was banned for life for spot-fixing in 2013, can now resume competitive cricket. The Indian cricket board reduced the 35-year old Mumbai left-arm spinner’s ban to seven years.
Chavan intends to write a letter to Mumbai Cricket Association seeking permission to allow him to resume local cricket.
“I want to play cricket again, I want to go back to the ground and start playing. I still feel I have it in me to make a comeback. Being a spinning all-rounder I have kept myself fit. It was a very, very tough time for me. It was the most difficult phase of my life. My home is near Shivaji Park and still I couldn’t play. Imagine a situation like this for a cricketer. I’m really eager and excited and looking forward to play again,” he told The Indian Express.
The BCCI had emailed Chavan about the reduction of his life ban.
“The Learned Ombudsman, has restricted the ban imposed on you from life ban to 7 years, with effect from 13 September 2013. In view of the order dated 3 May 2021, the ban imposed on you therefore ended on 13 September, 2020,” the BCCI interim CEO Hemang Amin wrote.
In 2013, the BCCI disciplinary committee had found S Sreesanth, Chavan, and Ajit Chandila guilty of spot-fixing in the IPL and had handed them life bans. However in 2015, a Delhi trial court dropped all charges against these players for lack of evidence. However, the BCCI continued to impose a life ban.
Sreesanth was the only one to challenge his ban in Apex court. In 2019, the Supreme Court revoked the life ban slapped on Sreesanth and asked the board to revisit the quantum of punishment. The board later allowed Sreesanth to play cricket from the 2020 season.
“The mail has come as a big relief for me, those eight years have been very challenging for me. I would like to thank BCCI and MCA (Mumbai Cricket Association) for approving my request,” Chavan said.
Chavan has played 18 First-Class matches and 20 List A games apart from 13 IPL matches.
