Sreesanth's life ban: SC to hear plea on Feb 5

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal filed by cricketer Shantakumaran Sreesanth against a Kerala High Court verdict that restored the life ban imposed on him by the Board of Control for Cricket in India in the wake of the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra directed that the case be listed for hearing before an appropriate bench according to the roster after the matter was mentioned before it.

"List on February 5, 2018 before an appropriate bench, as per roster, subject to removal of defects, if any," the bench, also comprising justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said.

A division bench of the high court had restored the ban on a petition filed by the BCCI against a single-judge bench's order, lifting the life ban imposed on the 34-year-old pacer.

The bench had said there was no violation of natural justice against the cricketer and quashed the single bench order in Sreesanth's favour.

In its appeal, the BCCI had said the decision to ban the cricketer was taken based on the evidence against him.

The single-judge bench had, on August 7 last year, lifted the life ban imposed on him by the BCCI and also set aside all proceedings against Sreesanth initiated by the board.

All the 36 accused in the spot-fixing case, including Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila, were let off by a Patiala House court in July, 2015.

The BCCI, however, had refused to alter its disciplinary decision even after the verdict.