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Ankeet Chavan Cleared To Resume Professional Cricket After Serving 7 Year Ban For Spot Fixing

Ankeet Chavan cleared to resume professional cricket after serving 7 year ban for spot fixing

Former Rajasthan Royals all-rounder and one of three players from the franchise who was banned for life for the alleged spot-fixing in the 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL) Ankeet Chavan has been freed from his life ban and can resume his duties as a professional cricketer after the ban was reduced to 7 years. The 35-year-old left-arm spinner who was earlier banned for life by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) can now take part in competitive cricket.

“I want to play cricket again, I want to go back to the ground and start playing. I still feel I have it in me to make a comeback. Being a spinning all-rounder I have kept myself fit. It was a very, very tough time for me. It was the most difficult phase of my life. My home is near Shivaji Park and still, I couldn’t play. Imagine a situation like this for a cricketer. I’m really eager and excited and looking forward to play again,” Chavan was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.

In an email which was accessed by the ESPN Cricinfo, BCCI interim chief executive Hemang Amin confirmed in a letter to Chavan that his life bn has been revoked to 7 years which means it effectively ended on 13th September 2020.

“The Learned Ombudsman, has restricted the ban imposed on you from life ban to 7 years, with effect from 13 September 2013. In view of the order dated 3 May 2021, the ban imposed on you, therefore, ended on 13 September 2020,” the BCCI interim CEO Hemang Amin wrote.

Despite the ban in principle getting over in September 2020 Chavan had to wait until May 3, 2021 to get a copy of the order from the ombudsman, unlike Sreesanth’s case who got the term reduction copy back in August last year. Chavan had to request the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) to apply to the BCCI for a confirmation letter which was finally received on June 15.

"The ban has been completely over as of September 2020," Chavan told PTI on Tuesday after his life ban was revoked. "I am open for whatever (comes) my way. I am really looking forward to getting on the ground as soon as possible.

"Unfortunately, because of the pandemic (Covid-19) and the rains, the grounds would probably be closed but whichever opportunity I get to be back at the ground, I will be really eager for that."

Back in 2013, the BCCI disciplinary committee handed him a life ban along with Sreesanth and Ajit Chandila. While the Delhi trial court dismissed all the charges against all of these three players due to the lack of evidence, BCCI continued to impose the life ban on all three players.

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