'I want to be back on ground like Sreesanth' - Ankeet Chavan requests BCCI, MCA to reconsider his life ban

Former Indian cricketer Ankeet Chavan has requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) to reconsider the life ban imposed on him. In 2013, Chavan was accused of being involved in IPL spot-fixing scandal and as a result, he was banned from playing any form of cricket for the rest of his life.

BCCI’s disciplinary committee had found three Rajasthan Royals players– S. Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila guilty of being a part of the spot-fixing. However, all the charges on the three players were removed by a Delhi trial court in 2015 due to lack of evidence.

Though the charges were dropped, no decision was taken on the life ban. Talking about the same, Chavan revealed that he wants his home association MCA to fight his case so that he can play the game again.

“I have requested them to reconsider my life ban. I want to play cricket again. I want to be back on the ground. Sreesanth has successfully challenged his case. He is going to play cricket again. I face the same situation and feel my ban should also be reconsidered. I have requested my home association MCA to take my case forward,” said 38-year-old Chavan.

Life feels incomplete without cricket: Ankeet Chavan

Out of the three accused cricketers, Sreesanth is the only one to have received the permission of resuming the domestic and international cricket. After the Delhi court declared the three players innocent, the pacer challenged his life ban in the Supreme Court.

In 2019, the Supreme Court asked the board to revisit the quantum of their punishment. The board later reduced Sreesanth’s life ban to seven years and the Kerala pacer can now resume playing cricket from September 13, 2020.

On the same note, Mumbai’s Ankeet believes that even he can make a comeback in the game. The all-rounder has sent an application to the concerned authorities and is waiting for a response from their side. Chavan represented Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals in three seasons of IPL from 2011 to 2013. He picked up eight wickets from 13 matches played in IPL. Chavan also featured in 18 First-class matches and 20 List A games for India.

“In 2015, I got a clean chit (a Delhi Court dropped all charges) but the ban was still there. I’m desperate to make a comeback on the ground and that’s why I made a request to the board and MCA. Life feels incomplete without cricket, I just want to play again. It will not be proper for me to comment any further, I have made a request, let’s see what happens,”, the left-arm orthodox bowler said.