IPL spot-fixing row: BCCI refuses to lift life ban on Sreesanth

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has rejected tainted pacer S. Sreesanth's plea for a review of his life ban, saying it will not compromise on its zero tolerance policy towards corruption.

The 34-year-old received the letter from BCCI CEO Rahul Johri on Sunday after he wrote to the Committee of Administrators (CoA) appealing for revocation of his ban in the 2013 spot-fixing scandal.

The country's cricket board also informed the Kerala High Court that a criminal court exonerating Sreesanth of spot-fixing charges was not enough to lift the life time ban on him.

After Sreesanth approached the Kerala High Court in March this year with a petition seeking the lifting of his ban, the court asked him to file a review plea before the BCCI.

In 2013, Sreesanth was slapped with a one-year ban by the BCCI's disciplinary committee headed by the present Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley after the former was arrested on charges of spot-fixing during that year's Indian Premier League.

However, a Delhi Sessions court had exonerated him in the spot-fixing case registered by the Delhi Police which invoked the Maharashtra Control of organized crimes Act (MCOCA).

On account of life ban, the Indian fast bowler cannot play even league cricket nor get access even for practice to any of the cricket grounds where the BCCI or the state cricket associations have a stake.