The Kerala High Court on Monday lifted the lifetime ban imposed by BCCI on cricketer S Sreesanth.
The 34-year-old old cricketer had moved the Kerala HC after the BCCI refused to lift the lifetime ban on him despite the Delhi trial court acquitting him of charges of spot-fixing.
It was in September 2013 that the BCCI gave him a lifetime ban for bringing the game into disrepute.
A Delhi court had acquitted him in the case in 2015.
Lifting the lifetime ban, the Kerala HC said that the BCCI refusing to lift the ban despite Sreesanth getting acquitted in the case, was a violation of natural justice.
The HC observed that BCCI should have taken the Delhi court verdict into account.
It further observed that since the reason for the ban did not exist anymore, the ban itself does not have any standing.
On March 1, S Sreesanth had approached the Kerala High Court with a petition seeking the lifting of the ban imposed by the BCCI, even after a Delhi court exonerated him in the spot fixing case.
In April this year, BCCI had sent a letter to Sreesanth categorically reiterating that the life ban imposed on him will stay.
The BCCI's letter, from CEO Rahul Johri, had stated that the Board is particular in ensuring that discipline is maintained and there is nothing to change their September 2013 decision of imposing a life ban on the bowler.
The letter also mentioned that the decision to impose the life ban was taken by a committee that had as members, BCCI Vice President TC Mathew -- who was Kerala Cricket Association President -- and KCA secretary TN Ananthanarayanan.
Taking to Twitter after the HC order, Sreesanth thanked his supporters.
God is great..thanks for the all the love and support pic.twitter.com/THyjfbBSFv
— Sreesanth (@sreesanth36) August 7, 2017