S Sreesanth,

In a recent interview published in Bombay Times, you were asked if you felt that there was a conspiracy against you. “Whether it’s because of my political leanings or me being from the South, I don’t know,” you answered.

First of all, it’s silly to blame your region for your inability to make it to the team. There are so many players from the south, both today and in the past. The likes of Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Ravichandran Ashwin, Anil Kumble, Mohammad Azharuddin, Murali Vijay, S. Venkatraghavan, KL Rahul and Kris Srikkanth are just some of the names. Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad, the two fast bowlers who represented us during our growing up years, were both from South India.

In fact, you too were made a part of two World Cup winning teams (2007 T20 and 2011). If the team management discriminated against South Indians, you wouldn’t have even made it. 

Please accept the decision that has been made against you, and move on with your life. You are not being sent to jail for playing with the emotions of so many IPL fans and running water over your responsibility as a cricketer, that is enough. 

“I will turn 35 in February and I don’t know what will happen even if I get to play now. I have hardly four to five years of good cricket ahead of me if I keep my fitness levels high,” you said.

This is where you make sense. Indeed, you don’t have much cricket left in you, and you’re certainly past your peak. Your record in ODIs and Tests isn’t that impressive either, and probably you made it because the team didn’t have so many options. In ODIs, you have an economy rate of above 6, and have taken just 75 wickets in 53 matches. 

Even if the life ban wasn’t imposed, we doubt if you would have been able to make a comeback to the national team.