Sreesanth found few sympathizers when he slapped by Harbhajan Singh during IPL’s inaugural year. However, the man in the midst of the drama finds himself out of action ever since and it appears it will be a while still before he will be seen on an international cricket field in Indian colours.
Sreesanth has not had it easy since that slapgate incident with Harbhajan Singh. Sreesanth, who plays for the Mohali Kings XI Punjab team, got himself stuck in a ruckus after repeatedly insulting the Mumbai Indian cricketers during a league encounter, resulting in Harbhajan, an equally temperamental individual, to let his anger be known.
That misconduct apart, Sreesanth has generally been a non cognizant player off the field and has not featured in the India matches thereafter. Only a dance reality show on television kept him in the limelight as also controversial news articles that saw him involved in a brawl and labeled a nuisance by his neighbours in Bangalore and getting into a scuffle over hotel rooms.
Injury upon injury has taken toll on his career and now he rounds up an entire year without cricket with the latest being a stress fracture in his back that will now see him in a new role for the Mohali team – in a role that is perhaps likely to see him interact more with the fans to please his franchisees. Not that Preity Zinta would mind given that Sreesanth has a habit of keeping himself in the news and it could be an unusual publicity stunt yet for a cricketer.
As Sreesanth is designed for touring with his team during the second season of the IPL, he is also grateful to his fast bowler and Mohali team mate Brett Lee for helping him keep up the confidence factor, having been through similar injury himself. Lee himself is trying to make a comeback into the Australian team after an indifferent spell followed by injury. Perhaps he will now be seen in Australian colours only in the Ashes where he will have to compete with the like of Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle who have fitted it nicely in Australia’s game plan.
In the mean time, Sreesanth will capture time in front of the cameras, not on the field though. More thumb twiddling as the wait widens.
Part One: Pampered and Spoilt: When Cricketers Become Politicians and Celebrities
