Amit Singh, a former Rajasthan Royals player, was handed a five-year ban while another RR cricketer Siddharth Trivedi got away with a lighter one-year suspension after the BCCI disciplinary committee met to discuss anti-corruption chief Ravi Sawani’s report on scam.
‘After considering the evidence on record and hearing each of the Players in person, the Disciplinary Committee has passed the following order...Mr Amit Singh is banned for a period of five years from playing any representative Cricket, or in any way being associated with the activities of the BCCI or its affiliates,’ BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said in a statement on Friday. ‘Mr. Siddharth Trivedi is banned for a period of one year from playing any representative Cricket or in any way being associated with the activities of the BCCI or its affiliates.
‘Mr. Ankeet Chavan is banned for life from playing any representative Cricket, or in any way being associated with the activities of the BCCI or its affiliates. ‘Mr. S. Sreesanth is banned for life from playing any representative Cricket, or in any way being associated with the activities of the BCCI or its affiliates,’ the statement added.
Young spinner Harmeet Singh was, however, let off for lack of strong evidence against him. ‘The case against Mr. Harmeet Singh has been closed in the absence of evidence against him.’ The release had no mention of Ajit Chandila, who allegedly lured the cricketers into spot-fixing net, but a BCCI official said a decision on him will be taken later.
Since Chandila has just been released on bail, the BCCI would like to give him an opportunity to depose in front of the committee before deciding the quantum of punishment.
The life bans on Sreesanth and Chavan were expected after Sawani had found them guilty of spot-fixing and had himself recommended a life ban. The scandal, which broke out in May, had shaken the cash-rich Twenty20 event and led to a massive churning within the Board.