File photo of S Sreesanth.
Kerala Ranji team coach Tinu Yohannan has said S Sreesanth, who recently completed seven-year ban from cricket, is eligible to be part of the domestic cricket team but must clear the fitness test and get in the team on merit.
The 37-year-old pacer was served a lifetime ban by Indian cricket board (BCCI) for his role in the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal. This was later reduced to seven years by BCCI ombudsman DK Jain last year. The ban on Sreesanth officially ended on September 13.
Sreesanth has already made his intentions clear to make a comeback and is currently training with the Kerala U-23 side.
"Sreesanth has shown the keenness to play by training hard and keeping himself fit," the former Indian pace turn coach told ESPNcricinfo. "We've been in touch (with him). We will consider him, but it will depend on his form and fitness. But the door is open."
Sreesanth earlier took to Twitter to express happiness on the ban period soon coming to an end and said he is eager to compete at the top level.
"I'm completely free of any charges nd anything nd now gonna represent the sport I love the most.will give my very best to every ball I ball even (if) it's just practice (sic)," he tweeted on Friday, 2 days before the lifting of his ban.
He further wrote: "Just have another 5 to 7 years max to give it all I've got nd I will give the very best to any team I play.”
However, Sreesanth comeback is hit by the ensuing COVID-19 pandemic as the crisis has left him no tournament to compete in to complete his return for the first time since the 2013 IPL fiasco.
Sreesanth even said that he thought about organising a local cricket tournament but dropped the plan due to the rising cases of coronavirus in the state.
“After a long wait, I can play again but there is no place in the country to play now. I even planned to organise a local tournament in Kochi this week so that I could step out onto the field, but decided against it looking at the risks involved, as the number of coronavirus cases in Kerala are increasing," Sreesanth said.
