The Supreme Court on Friday (August 17) observed that there was nothing wrong in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) barring former India pacer S Sreesanth from playing “while taking a civil measure for punishment”.

Sreesanth, who was banned from cricket anywhere by the BCCI, has come to the top court after it was found that he was innocent of any crime, because no such crime exists in the IPC. He has been fully exonerated of criminal allegations against him. He was pulled up by the Delhi Police for match-fixing.

The bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud was told by the senior counsel representing the BCCI that the petitioner (Sreesanth) has been exonerated on the ground that there is no such offence in IPC.

At that the CJI opined: “Leaving aside the criminal ingredient, there is nothing wrong with barring the petitioner from playing while taking a civil measure for punishment. Cricket is a glorified sport of uncertainty and when someone tries to bring in predictability, the person must face consequences.”

The matter has been listed to be heard on merits on August 27.

—India Legal Bureau