Failure with ‘Bat and Ball’ takes pace off

NEW DELHI: Having disposed in front of BCCI’s Disciplinary Committee for close to four hours at a city hotel, S Sreesanth rushed to meet a friend in Gurgaon, before taking a night flight back home.

As the hearing started at 11am, Amit Singh, Harmeet Singh, Siddharth Trivedi, Ankeet Chavan, and Sreesanth, the last to appear, told the panel their side of the story.

After sharing his story, Sreesanth told reporters: “All I have dreamt from childhood is to play for India and I will never cheat the game. There was no argument with the committee, they were very cooperative.”

Two hours later, BCCI issued a press release declaring his life ban. A five-year ban was expected later this month. But it seems Friday the 13th had to have a bearing on the career of a cricketer who is a devout ‘believer’.

SHATTERED But his world came falling apart a touch sooner. “I believe in God and the ultimate truth, I am innocent, time will prove it. I am upset, but not shattered, because I am innocent. I will face it (the life ban) bravely and fight for my career,” he said.

Unlike other banned Indian n cricketers of the past, some me o f whom had their bans revoked; life after cricket could ld prove tricky on the pocket for Sreesanth, known to enjoy an

o expensive lifestyle. “His finanncial situation is really bad. And nd he can’t depend much on his is family either. He could move to Dubai and live at some stage, but ut for that needs to find ways to get his businesses running,” says a

eta close aide.

A few years ago, his hotel busisiness shut down and his music ic band ‘S36’, which he started with th much fanfare, e.failed to thrive. In 2007, henalong with Robin Uthappa and former Kerala la cricketer Mahindra opened a “Bat and Ball Inn’ in Kochi and nd

A FEW YEARS AGO, HIS HOTEL BUSINESS SHUT DOWN AND HIS MUSIC BAND ‘S36’, WHICH HE STARTED WITH FANFARE, FAILED TO THRIVE

Bangalore. At the time, he was also getting ready to further explore the hotel business. He even wanted to pack Kerala’s aromatic spices in his brand name. The venture sank.

BRAND AMBASSADOR In Kerala, he was the brand ambassador of two business groups, but both did not renew their contract in 2011.

“I can tell you for a fact that more than 50 per cent of all his earnings from cricket have gone down the drain because of his failed businesses.

“He is not left with much money. His brother-in-law (Madhu Balakrishnan) is there as a moral support but won’t be able to help him much financially,” says another aide.