Why CSK players weren't questioned in IPL spot-fixing case, asks S Sreesanth

New Delhi: Banned pacer S Sreesanth has dragged Chennai Super Kings (CSK) players in the infamous Indian Premier League (IPL) spot-fixing case.

Sreesanth claimed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has separate rules for him and he is being singled out in the match-fixing controversy.

In an interview to a news channel, Sreesanth said that there are many people who were named by the Delhi police in their report but are still playing international cricket.

He then asked, “Teams like CSK and Rajasthan Royals (RR) banned only for two years... Why weren't players from CSK questioned?"

Last month, the BCCI all but finished Sreesanth's cricket career by invoking International Cricket Council (ICC) rules to declare that he cannot play for another country following the Kerala High Court order which upheld the lifetime ban imposed by the cricket board.

Earlier, Sreesanth had hinted at the possibility of playing up for another country. He had said that "BCCI has imposed the ban, not ICC".

“During the probe, cops dropped one name after the other... yes, some of them are still playing for the country," he added.

In August, a single bench of the court had quashed the BCCI's ban on Sreesanth. It observed that “no material or evidence before the disciplinary committee to conclude that Sreesanth was guilty of a violation of the anti-corruption code formulated by the BCCI”.

But, while restoring the ban, the division bench in October said that the court cannot conduct a reappraisal of the evidence that BCCI's disciplinary committee relied on.

The bench also said that it's only conducting a judicial review and is not sitting as an appellate authority over BCCI's decision.

CSK and RR will return to the IPL fold in the next edition. Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is likely to rejoin the Chennai-based franchise as the captain.

Dhoni found himself in the spotlight in the case and was initially blamed for 'corrupt conduct'. In fact, reports have emerged that Dhoni had tried to cover up to save the former BCCI boss N Srinivasan and his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan. Later, BCCI counsel CA Sundaram had said that Dhoni had been unnecessarily vilified by the opposing counsel Harish Salve, for the Cricket Association of Bihar.

Sreesanth was banned for life following allegations of spot-fixing during an IPL match in 2013.

The right-arm fast-medium bowler played 27 Tests, 53 ODIs and 10 T20Is for India, taking 87, 75 and 7 wickets respectively.

He last played for India in a Test match against England at The Oval in August 2011.