Mumbai: Sending out a strong signal against those guilty of corruption in the game, the BCCI on Saturday slapped a life ban on Ranji top wicket-taker TP Sudhindra while also handing varying degrees of punishments to four other players caught in the IPL spot-fixing scandal.
The decision to ban the players was taken by the BCCI’s Disciplinary Committee, headed by its President N Srinivasan, which met here to discuss the report submitted by the Board’s Anti-Corruption Unit chief Ravi Sawani, who probed into the matter after an expose by a TV channel sting operation.
While the 28-year-old Sudhindra, the highest wicket taker (40 wickets) in the last Ranji Trophy season, was the worst hit as his career seems all but over, Shalabh Srivastava was banned for five years while Mohnish Mishra, Amit Yadav and Abhinav Bali were banned for a year each.
Sudhindra became the third Indian cricketer to be banned for life by the BCCI.
“The Committee held Sudhindra guilty of actually receiving a consideration to spot-fix in a domestic cricket match, and hence imposed exemplary penalty on him. Sudhindra has been debarred for life, from playing any cricket matches conducted or authorised by the ICC or BCCI, or any affiliated unit of the BCCI,” the Board said in a statement.
Sudhindra will not be entitled to the monthly gratis, benevolent fund, benefit match or any other facility offered to players by the BCCI.
He also cannot hold any position in any cricket association affiliated to the BCCI for life. (PTI)