Shanthakumaran Sreesanth
Encyclopedia
Sreesanth (born February 6, 1983 in Kothamangalam
, Kerala
, India), is an Indian cricket
er. He is a right-arm fast-medium-pace bowler and a right-handed tail-ender batsman. In first class cricket, he plays for Kerala
and in the Indian Premier League
, he plays for Kochi Tuskers Kerala. He is the first Kerala Ranji
player to play Twenty20 cricket for India.
Sreesanth was a national breakdancing champion when he was in eighth grade.
is a famous South Indian playback singer.
Sreesanth initially was a leg-spinner
in his childhood, modelling his action on India's leading Test wicket-taker Anil Kumble
, who was to become his Test captain. However, his habit of bowling yorkers led him to convert to fast bowling, after being encouraged by his elder brother. Following in the footsteps of fellow Kerala fast bowler Tinu Yohannan
, who earned selection to the National Cricket Academy
in 2000, Sreesanth was selected for the MRF
Pace foundation in Chennai
. He then made his first-class debut against Goa
in the 2002-03 domestic season, claiming 22 wickets in seven matches in the Ranji Trophy
and winning selection for South Zone
in the Duleep Trophy
squad in the same season.
He was selected for India-A side in a tour match against the visiting New Zealand
side at Rajkot. He claimed one wicket in twelve overs after being restricted with a hamstring
injury. He also missed five Ranji Trophy games in that season, although he still travelled with the side for away games. This led to rumours that an astrologer convinced him to take a break from competition to preserve his longevity in the sport, which Sreesanth categorically denied, maintaining that he was training only to regain his fitness.
In November 2004, Sreesanth entered the record books when he took a hat-trick against Himachal Pradesh
in a Ranji trophy game. He was selected to represent India B in the Challenger Trophy in October 2005, a domestic limited-overs tournament. He performed impressively in that tournament, earning the Man of the Series award and being the leading wicket taker (7) with the third best bowling average. This led to his selection to Indian team for the home ODI series against Sri Lanka
.
. After being punished early by Kumar Sangakkara
and Sanath Jayasuriya
, Sreesanth returned to claim his first two ODI wickets at the end of the match. He was left out of the team and was later recalled for the fourth, fifth and sixth ODIs as coach Greg Chappell
tinkered with the line-up. He was retained in the squad but did not play in the 5 match series against South Africa
, but played all five matches in the tour to Pakistan, recording a haul of 4/58 in the fifth ODI against Pakistani cricket team
in Karachi
. A good home series against the England in April 2006, in which he claimed 10 wickets at an average of 16.3, including a career best 6/55 in the final match at Indore
(in which he was awarded the man of the match award http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/india/content/story/244404.html), led to him subsequently being awarded a BCCI
contract, in the C-grade in May.
His disappointing economy rate led him to be left out of the ICC Champions Trophy
squad of 14, with the beneficiary being R. P. Singh. He made an unexpected come back to the blue squad due to the injury to Ajit Agarkar
later in the tournament. He was also out of the Indian ODI team for the England tour.
Inn 2011 Cricket World Cup
, Sreesanth was selected due to injury to Praveen Kumar
. He was expensive in the first game going wicketless at 53 runs in 5 overs. he was selected in the final where he gave away 52 runs for 8 wicketless overs.
Sreesanth was selected for his first Test squad in the home series against England in March 2006, in place of Zaheer Khan
. He claimed 4/95 in his debut appearance in the 1st Test in Nagpur
, where he opened the bowling with Irfan Pathan
. He was ruled out of the second Test in Mohali
due to illness, but recovered and captured five wickets as well a 29* with the bat in the Third Test in Mumbai
. With the axing of Pathan, Sreesanth became India's leading pace bowler on the tour of the West Indies. He missed the second Test due to an injury but managed to claim his best match figures of 5/72 in the 4th Test in Kingston, Jamaica
.
Sreesanth's most significant performance to date in Test cricket was his role in the 1st Test of India's 2006 tour to South Africa at Johannesburg
. After losing the limited-overs series 4-0, Sreesanth produced took 5-40 in a display of pace and swing to help dismiss South Africa. This performance helped to bowl South Africans out for just 84, leading to first Indian win on South African soil, for which he was named man of the match. Again, Sreesanth's emotional antics, which have led him to be regarded by some commentators as eccentric, were frequently noted. He was fined after breaching the International Cricket Council
's advertising logo policy, and also for "conduct contrary to the spirit of the game" after sending off Hashim Amla
after dismissing him. He was also involved in a highly-publicised confrontation while batting against paceman Andre Nel
. Nel delivered a series of fast balls at Sreesanth's upper body and after Sreesanth ungainly evaded one delivery, taunted him by gesturing to his chest, indicating that he felt Sreesanth was lacking in courage. On the next ball, Sreesanth gave him the charge and hit the ball straight over the bowler's head into the stands for a six. He then whirled his bat in enthusiasm and danced down the wicket, making fun of Nel and performing a dance. Later, Sreesanth said that he would not repeat anything of the sort, since he could be suspended for violating the code of conduct. Even though he went unpunished for the Nel incident, he was fined 30% of the match fee for running towards Hashim Amla
after picking up his wicket, and wearing a branded garment under the jersey.
Sreesanth courted controversy once again during the fourth day of the second test of India's 2007 tour to England at Trent Bridge
. He was fined half of his match fee for deliberately shoulder barging England captain Michael Vaughan
whilst walking back to his mark. He also bowled a beamer at batsman Kevin Pietersen
, which the latter had to take drastic action to avoid. Sreesanth however did immediately apologise afterwards. After the match he said that the ball had slipped from his hand. Soon afterwards, he bowled a no-ball where he overstepped the crease by roughly 2 foot (0.6096 m), leading to speculation it was deliberate; the delivery was a bouncer to Paul Collingwood
. Former England captain Michael Atherton called for Sreesanth to be banned for the Pietersen beamer, saying that Sreesanth could not control his on-pitch emotions.http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/engvind/content/story/304509.html http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/engvind/content/story/305193.html
After leaving out of the Indian team for about a year and half, Sreesanth was called back to play the home Test series against Sri Lanka in November 2009. Sreesanth played the second Test in Kanpur and picked up five wickets in the first innings, which helped India win the match by an innings and 144 runs. Sreesath was awarded the Man of the Match for taking six wickets in the match. After the match, Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni
praised him as one of the best bowlers of reverse swing.
and Matthew Hayden
. The latter proved to be decisive in turning the match round in India's favour. In the final against Pakistan, Sreesanth proved expensive with the ball, but became the centre of Indian celebrations as he held on to the catch in the last over that ended Pakistan's innings and made India World Twenty20 champions.
in the Indian Premier League
. In the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008, Sreesanth became the second leading wicket taker in the tournament after Sohail Tanveer, claiming 18 wickets. Sreesanth appeared only in the second half of the 2009 edition of the IPL. He could not play the initial matches of the season owing to a stress fracture. He left Kings XI Punjab after the 2010 Indian Premier League
and signed for Kochi
for the 2011 competition
.
On April 25, 2008, following the victory of his Kings XI Punjab
's victory in the Indian Premier League
over the Mumbai Indians
at Mohali
, Sreesanth was slapped under his eye by Harbhajan Singh
, the captain of Mumbai. The incident came to light as Sreesanth was caught by TV cameras sobbing inconsolably on the field before the presentation ceremony. Sreesanth later downplayed the incident saying he had no complaints against Harbhajan who was "like an elder brother" to him. Harbhajan's team had lost their third consecutive match when he apparently reacted violently to Sreesanth's approaching him and saying "hard luck". The IPL banned Harbhajan from the remainder of the tournament and prohibited him from collecting his salary after finding him guilty. The BCCI
launched a separate investigation into the incident and decided to ban Harbhajan for five ODIs, deeming him to have broken the code of conduct in his national contract.
In Australia earlier that year, Sreesanth stated that he would maintain an aggressive attitude on the cricket field, "Sreesanth's way is to be aggressive. Sreesanth will always remain Sreesanth."
for the remainder of the English season.
. In October 2009, the BCCI
and Kerala Cricket Association
issued separate warnings to Sreesanth for indiscipline, failure of which could invite drastic actions such as ban from domestic cricket.
He has been warned several times for indiscipline both on and off the cricket field. The BCCI
issued a final warning to Sreesanth in October 2009, to mend his on-field behaviour, failure of which would invite a suspension from domestic matches. Following this, the Kerala Cricket Association
also issued him a final warning for repeatedly violating code of conduct. This was after Sreesanth failed to turn up at the Kerala Ranji Trophy
team camp in Kannur
.
However, Sreesanth was recalled to the Indian squad for the first two Test matches against Sri Lanka in the following month. He got the selection after being out of the national team for more than a year and half. He replaced Ishant Sharma
for the second Test in Kanpur and his bowling became instrumental in helping India win the Test match by an innings and 144 runs. Sreesanth's five wicket haul in the first innings of the match earned him the Man of the Match award also.
In September 2007, Sreesanth said that his name was just "Sreesanth" and that the other variations were incorrect:
Kothamangalam
Kothamangalam is a town located in eastern part of Ernakulam district in the Indian state of Kerala situated 45 km north east of Kochi City. It is located around 14 km north east to the town of Muvattupuzha. The town is situated in the foothills of the Western Ghats mountain ranges. It...
, Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, India), is an Indian cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er. He is a right-arm fast-medium-pace bowler and a right-handed tail-ender batsman. In first class cricket, he plays for Kerala
Kerala cricket team
The Kerala cricket team is a domestic cricket team based in the Indian state of Kerala. It is in the Plate Group of the Ranji Trophy, the premier first class cricket tournament in India. Kerala has produced two Indian test cricketers, Tinu Yohannan and Shanthakumaran Sreesanth...
and in the Indian Premier League
Indian Premier League
The Indian Premier League is a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition in India. It was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered in Mumbai, and is supervised by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who serves as the league's Chairman and Commissioner...
, he plays for Kochi Tuskers Kerala. He is the first Kerala Ranji
Ranji Trophy
The Ranji Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket championship played in India between different city and state sides, equivalent to the County Championship in England and the Sheffield Shield in Australia...
player to play Twenty20 cricket for India.
Sreesanth was a national breakdancing champion when he was in eighth grade.
Early years
Sreesanth was born to Shanthakumaran Nair and Savithri Devi. He has one elder brother and a sister. His brother Dipu Santhan owns a music company in Kochi and his sister Nivedita is a television actress in Kerala. His brother in law, Madhu BalakrishnanMadhu Balakrishnan
Madhu Balakrishnan is an Indian playback singer, who sings in Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil and Kannada languages.-Biography:Madhu Balakrishnan is from Tripunithura, Cochin, Kerala in India. A Graded artist in All India Radio and Doordarshan, he has performed with all major playback singers in Kerala...
is a famous South Indian playback singer.
Sreesanth initially was a leg-spinner
Leg spin
Leg spin is a type of spin bowling in the sport of cricket. A leg spinner bowls right-arm with a wrist spin action, causing the ball to spin from right to left in the cricket pitch, at the point of delivery. When the ball bounces, the spin causes the ball to deviate sharply from right to left, that...
in his childhood, modelling his action on India's leading Test wicket-taker Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble is a former Indian cricketer and captain of the Indian Test cricket team. He is a right-arm leg spin bowler and a right-hand batsman. He is currently the leading wicket-taker for India in both Test and One Day International matches...
, who was to become his Test captain. However, his habit of bowling yorkers led him to convert to fast bowling, after being encouraged by his elder brother. Following in the footsteps of fellow Kerala fast bowler Tinu Yohannan
Tinu Yohannan
Tinu Yohannan is an Indian cricketer. He is a right-handed fast medium bowler. He plays first class cricket for Kerala. He is the first Kerala Ranji player to play Test and one day cricket for India....
, who earned selection to the National Cricket Academy
National Cricket Academy
The National Cricket Academy located in Chinnaswamy Stadium Bangalore, Karnataka in India, established in 2000 is a cricket facility of the Board of Control for Cricket in India for training young cricketers who are identified as having the potential to represent the Indian cricket team...
in 2000, Sreesanth was selected for the MRF
MRF
MRF is an acronym which may refer to:Organizations* Medical Response Force* Movement for Rights and Freedoms, a Bulgarian political party* Mobile Riverine Force * Morgellons Research Foundation...
Pace foundation in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
. He then made his first-class debut against Goa
Goa cricket team
The Goa cricket team has never been an overly strong team in the Ranji Trophy. Confined to the plate group, Goa bottomed the table in 2005/06 by not achieving a win in their 5 matches, losing 3 matches. In 2006/07 they again finished bottom of the plate group without a win this time losing 4...
in the 2002-03 domestic season, claiming 22 wickets in seven matches in the Ranji Trophy
Ranji Trophy
The Ranji Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket championship played in India between different city and state sides, equivalent to the County Championship in England and the Sheffield Shield in Australia...
and winning selection for South Zone
South Zone cricket team
The South Zone cricket team is a first-class cricket team that represents southern India in the Duleep Trophy. It is a composite team of players from six first-class Indian teams from southern India competing in the Ranji Trophy: Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Hyderabad, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu...
in the Duleep Trophy
Duleep Trophy
The Duleep Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket competition played in India between teams representing geographical zones of India. The competition is named after Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji .-History:...
squad in the same season.
He was selected for India-A side in a tour match against the visiting New Zealand
New Zealand cricket team
The New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
side at Rajkot. He claimed one wicket in twelve overs after being restricted with a hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...
injury. He also missed five Ranji Trophy games in that season, although he still travelled with the side for away games. This led to rumours that an astrologer convinced him to take a break from competition to preserve his longevity in the sport, which Sreesanth categorically denied, maintaining that he was training only to regain his fitness.
In November 2004, Sreesanth entered the record books when he took a hat-trick against Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh cricket team
The Himachal Pradesh cricket team is a domestic cricket team based in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. In the 2006/07 season Himachal Pradesh won the Plate Group of the Ranji Trophy beating Orissa in the final after finishing top of their group....
in a Ranji trophy game. He was selected to represent India B in the Challenger Trophy in October 2005, a domestic limited-overs tournament. He performed impressively in that tournament, earning the Man of the Series award and being the leading wicket taker (7) with the third best bowling average. This led to his selection to Indian team for the home ODI series against Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan cricket team
The Sri Lankan cricket team is the national cricket team of Sri Lanka. The team first played international cricket in 1926–27, and were later awarded Test status in 1981, which made Sri Lanka the eighth Test cricket playing nation...
.
ODI career
Sreesanth was given the new ball in the first ODI against Sri Lanka in NagpurNagpur
Nāgpur is a city and winter capital of the state of Maharashtra, the largest city in central India and third largest city in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune...
. After being punished early by Kumar Sangakkara
Kumar Sangakkara
Kumar Sangakkara is a Sri Lankan, Sinhalese cricketer and the former captain of the Sri Lanka national cricket team. He is a left-handed top-order batsman...
and Sanath Jayasuriya
Sanath Jayasuriya
Sanath Teran Jayasuriya is a former Sri Lankan cricketer. An all-rounder, he played for the Sri Lankan cricket team from 1989 to 2011...
, Sreesanth returned to claim his first two ODI wickets at the end of the match. He was left out of the team and was later recalled for the fourth, fifth and sixth ODIs as coach Greg Chappell
Greg Chappell
Gregory Stephen Chappell MBE is a former cricketer who captained Australia between 1975 and 1977 and then joined the breakaway World Series Cricket organisation, before returning to the Australian captaincy in 1979, a position he held until his retirement 1983...
tinkered with the line-up. He was retained in the squad but did not play in the 5 match series against South Africa
South African cricket team
The South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status...
, but played all five matches in the tour to Pakistan, recording a haul of 4/58 in the fifth ODI against Pakistani cricket team
Pakistani cricket team
The Pakistan cricket team is the national cricket team of Pakistan. Pakistan, represented by the Pakistan Cricket Board , is a full member of the International Cricket Council, and thus participates in , and cricket matches....
in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
. A good home series against the England in April 2006, in which he claimed 10 wickets at an average of 16.3, including a career best 6/55 in the final match at Indore
Indore
Indore is one of the major city in India, the largest city and commercial center of the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. Indore is located 190 km west of the state capital Bhopal. According to the 2011 Indian census, Indore city has a population of 1,960,631...
(in which he was awarded the man of the match award http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/india/content/story/244404.html), led to him subsequently being awarded a BCCI
Board of Control for Cricket in India
The Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered at Mumbai, is the national governing body for all cricket in India. It's not the apex governing body in India. The board was formed in December 1928 as BCCI replaced Calcutta Cricket Club. BCCI is a society, registered under the Tamil Nadu...
contract, in the C-grade in May.
His disappointing economy rate led him to be left out of the ICC Champions Trophy
ICC Champions Trophy
The ICC Champions Trophy is a One Day International cricket tournament, second in importance only to the Cricket World Cup. It was inaugurated as the ICC Knock Out tournament in 1998 and has been played every two years since, changing its name to the Champions Trophy in 2002...
squad of 14, with the beneficiary being R. P. Singh. He made an unexpected come back to the blue squad due to the injury to Ajit Agarkar
Ajit Agarkar
Ajit Bhalchandra Agarkar is an Indian international cricketer, who has been on the fringes of the Indian side in both tests and one day matches since his debut in 1998...
later in the tournament. He was also out of the Indian ODI team for the England tour.
Inn 2011 Cricket World Cup
2011 Cricket World Cup
The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup was the tenth Cricket World Cup. It was played in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. It was Bangladesh's first time co-hosting a World Cup...
, Sreesanth was selected due to injury to Praveen Kumar
Praveen Kumar
Praveen Kumar is an Indian swing bowler who bowls medium pace. In first class cricket, he plays for Uttar Pradesh. He relies on his ability to swing the ball both ways along with line and length. He is most effective when given the new ball. Kumar is also considered as a pinch hitter with the bat...
. He was expensive in the first game going wicketless at 53 runs in 5 overs. he was selected in the final where he gave away 52 runs for 8 wicketless overs.
Test career
Zaheer Khan
Zaheer Khan is an Indian cricketer who has been a member of the Indian cricket team since 2000. A left arm fast bowler considered as the best of the Indian fast bowling attack, Zaheer is known for his ability to swing the ball both ways, and as a batsman also holds the record for the highest Test...
. He claimed 4/95 in his debut appearance in the 1st Test in Nagpur
Nagpur
Nāgpur is a city and winter capital of the state of Maharashtra, the largest city in central India and third largest city in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune...
, where he opened the bowling with Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan is an Indian cricketer who made his debut for India in late-2003 and was a core member of the national team until a decline in form set in during 2006, forcing him out of the team...
. He was ruled out of the second Test in Mohali
Mohali
Mohali is a city adjacent to Chandigarh, 18th District in Punjab, India. It is officially named after the eldest son of Guru Gobind Singh, Sahibzada Ajit Singh . It, along with Chandigarh and Panchkula, form a part of the Chandigarh Tricity...
due to illness, but recovered and captured five wickets as well a 29* with the bat in the Third Test in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
. With the axing of Pathan, Sreesanth became India's leading pace bowler on the tour of the West Indies. He missed the second Test due to an injury but managed to claim his best match figures of 5/72 in the 4th Test in Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
.
Sreesanth's most significant performance to date in Test cricket was his role in the 1st Test of India's 2006 tour to South Africa at Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
. After losing the limited-overs series 4-0, Sreesanth produced took 5-40 in a display of pace and swing to help dismiss South Africa. This performance helped to bowl South Africans out for just 84, leading to first Indian win on South African soil, for which he was named man of the match. Again, Sreesanth's emotional antics, which have led him to be regarded by some commentators as eccentric, were frequently noted. He was fined after breaching the International Cricket Council
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
's advertising logo policy, and also for "conduct contrary to the spirit of the game" after sending off Hashim Amla
Hashim Amla
Hashim Mahomed Amla is a South African cricketer. A right-handed upper order batsman and occasional medium-pace bowler, Amla bats at number 3 for South Africa in Test matches and has opened in limited overs contests. He is currently ranked as the No...
after dismissing him. He was also involved in a highly-publicised confrontation while batting against paceman Andre Nel
Andre Nel
André Nel is a South African cricketer who played Test cricket and ODIs as a fast bowler but has since retired opting to play county cricket for Surrey.-International career:...
. Nel delivered a series of fast balls at Sreesanth's upper body and after Sreesanth ungainly evaded one delivery, taunted him by gesturing to his chest, indicating that he felt Sreesanth was lacking in courage. On the next ball, Sreesanth gave him the charge and hit the ball straight over the bowler's head into the stands for a six. He then whirled his bat in enthusiasm and danced down the wicket, making fun of Nel and performing a dance. Later, Sreesanth said that he would not repeat anything of the sort, since he could be suspended for violating the code of conduct. Even though he went unpunished for the Nel incident, he was fined 30% of the match fee for running towards Hashim Amla
Hashim Amla
Hashim Mahomed Amla is a South African cricketer. A right-handed upper order batsman and occasional medium-pace bowler, Amla bats at number 3 for South Africa in Test matches and has opened in limited overs contests. He is currently ranked as the No...
after picking up his wicket, and wearing a branded garment under the jersey.
Sreesanth courted controversy once again during the fourth day of the second test of India's 2007 tour to England at Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as International cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of...
. He was fined half of his match fee for deliberately shoulder barging England captain Michael Vaughan
Michael Vaughan
Michael Paul Vaughan OBE is a retired cricketer who represented Yorkshire and England. A classically elegant right-handed batsman and occasional off-spinner, Vaughan was ranked one of the best batsmen in the world following the 2002/3 Ashes, in which he scored 633 runs, including three centuries...
whilst walking back to his mark. He also bowled a beamer at batsman Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Peter Pietersen, MBE is a South African-born English cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and occasional off spin bowler who plays for England and Surrey...
, which the latter had to take drastic action to avoid. Sreesanth however did immediately apologise afterwards. After the match he said that the ball had slipped from his hand. Soon afterwards, he bowled a no-ball where he overstepped the crease by roughly 2 foot (0.6096 m), leading to speculation it was deliberate; the delivery was a bouncer to Paul Collingwood
Paul Collingwood
Paul David Collingwood MBE is an English cricketer. He has been a regular member of the England Test side, was captain of the One Day International team 2007–2008. He is also vice-captain of his county, Durham County Cricket Club. Collingwood is a batting all-rounder, whose batting...
. Former England captain Michael Atherton called for Sreesanth to be banned for the Pietersen beamer, saying that Sreesanth could not control his on-pitch emotions.http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/engvind/content/story/304509.html http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/engvind/content/story/305193.html
After leaving out of the Indian team for about a year and half, Sreesanth was called back to play the home Test series against Sri Lanka in November 2009. Sreesanth played the second Test in Kanpur and picked up five wickets in the first innings, which helped India win the match by an innings and 144 runs. Sreesath was awarded the Man of the Match for taking six wickets in the match. After the match, Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is an Indian cricketer and the current captain of the Indian national cricket team. He made his One Day International debut in December 2004 against Bangladesh, and a year later played his first Test, this time against Sri Lanka.Under his captaincy, India won the 2007 ICC...
praised him as one of the best bowlers of reverse swing.
World Twenty20 Championship, 2007
In September 2007, Sreesanth joined the Indian team in South Africa for the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup following his omission for the one-day series in England. Although his performance in the tournament lacked consistency, Sreesanth managed breakthroughs at critical junctures that were vital to his team's success. During the semifinal match against Australia which India won, Sreesanth got the vital wickets of the Australian openers Adam GilchristAdam Gilchrist
Adam Craig Gilchrist AM , nicknamed "Gilly" or "Churchy", is an Australian international cricketer who currently captains Kings XI Punjab and recently captained Middlesex. He is an attacking left-handed batsman and record-breaking wicket-keeper, who redefined the role for the Australian national...
and Matthew Hayden
Matthew Hayden
Matthew Lawrence Hayden AM is a former Australian cricketer, and was signed to the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL until the 2010 season. Hayden is a powerful and aggressive left-handed opening batsman, known for his ability to score quickly at both Test and one day levels.Hayden holds the record...
. The latter proved to be decisive in turning the match round in India's favour. In the final against Pakistan, Sreesanth proved expensive with the ball, but became the centre of Indian celebrations as he held on to the catch in the last over that ended Pakistan's innings and made India World Twenty20 champions.
Indian Premier League
Sreesanth is associated with the Kings XI PunjabKings XI Punjab
Kings XI Punjab is a cricket franchise based in Mohali, Punjab in the Indian Premier League. For the IPL3, an additional venue has been chosen at Dharamsala.-Franchise History:...
in the Indian Premier League
Indian Premier League
The Indian Premier League is a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition in India. It was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered in Mumbai, and is supervised by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who serves as the league's Chairman and Commissioner...
. In the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008, Sreesanth became the second leading wicket taker in the tournament after Sohail Tanveer, claiming 18 wickets. Sreesanth appeared only in the second half of the 2009 edition of the IPL. He could not play the initial matches of the season owing to a stress fracture. He left Kings XI Punjab after the 2010 Indian Premier League
2010 Indian Premier League
The 2010 Indian Premier League season, abbreviated as IPL 3 or the 2010 IPL, was the third season of the Indian Premier League, established by the Board of Control for Cricket in India in 2007. The tournament was hosted by India and had an estimated television audience of more than 200 million...
and signed for Kochi
Kochi IPL Team
Kochi Tuskers Kerala was a franchise cricket team that played in the Indian Premier League representing the city of Kochi, Kerala. The team was one of two new franchisees added to the Indian Premier League for the 2011 season, alongside the Pune Warriors India. The team franchise was owned by...
for the 2011 competition
2011 Indian Premier League
The 2011 Indian Premier League season, abbreviated as IPL 4 or the IPL 2011, was the fourth season of the Indian Premier League, a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition conceived by Lalit Modi in 2007. The tournament was hosted in India and the opening and closing ceremonies were...
.
Altercation with Harbhajan Singh
Kings XI Punjab
Kings XI Punjab is a cricket franchise based in Mohali, Punjab in the Indian Premier League. For the IPL3, an additional venue has been chosen at Dharamsala.-Franchise History:...
's victory in the Indian Premier League
Indian Premier League
The Indian Premier League is a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition in India. It was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered in Mumbai, and is supervised by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who serves as the league's Chairman and Commissioner...
over the Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians , is a franchise cricket team representing Mumbai in the Indian Premier League. The team is one of the eight founding members of the IPL in 2008. Mumbai Indians are currently led by Sachin Tendulkar, who is the Icon Player for the team and is coached by Robin Singh...
at Mohali
Punjab Cricket Association Stadium
The Punjab Cricket Association Stadium is located at Mohali, just outside the city of Chandigarh. It is popularly referred to as the Mohali Stadium. The stadium is home to the Punjab team. Punjab's second international cricket stadium has been approved by BCCI in Bathinda, Punjab. The...
, Sreesanth was slapped under his eye by Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh Plaha , commonly known as Harbhajan Singh, is an Indian cricketer. A specialist bowler, he has the second-highest number of Test wickets by an off spinner, behind Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan....
, the captain of Mumbai. The incident came to light as Sreesanth was caught by TV cameras sobbing inconsolably on the field before the presentation ceremony. Sreesanth later downplayed the incident saying he had no complaints against Harbhajan who was "like an elder brother" to him. Harbhajan's team had lost their third consecutive match when he apparently reacted violently to Sreesanth's approaching him and saying "hard luck". The IPL banned Harbhajan from the remainder of the tournament and prohibited him from collecting his salary after finding him guilty. The BCCI
Board of Control for Cricket in India
The Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered at Mumbai, is the national governing body for all cricket in India. It's not the apex governing body in India. The board was formed in December 1928 as BCCI replaced Calcutta Cricket Club. BCCI is a society, registered under the Tamil Nadu...
launched a separate investigation into the incident and decided to ban Harbhajan for five ODIs, deeming him to have broken the code of conduct in his national contract.
In Australia earlier that year, Sreesanth stated that he would maintain an aggressive attitude on the cricket field, "Sreesanth's way is to be aggressive. Sreesanth will always remain Sreesanth."
Warwickshire
In August 2009, Sreesanth signed a deal to play for WarwickshireWarwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
for the remainder of the English season.
Official warnings
Sreesanth is noted for his exuberant and emotional behaviour, especially whilst appealing for and celebrating wickets. Such trademark behaviour has seen him frequently fined for violating the player conduct guidelines of the International Cricket CouncilInternational Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
. In October 2009, the BCCI
Board of Control for Cricket in India
The Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered at Mumbai, is the national governing body for all cricket in India. It's not the apex governing body in India. The board was formed in December 1928 as BCCI replaced Calcutta Cricket Club. BCCI is a society, registered under the Tamil Nadu...
and Kerala Cricket Association
Kerala Cricket Association
Kerala Cricket Association is the governing body of Cricketing activities in the Kerala state of India. It is affiliated to the Board of Control for Cricket in India....
issued separate warnings to Sreesanth for indiscipline, failure of which could invite drastic actions such as ban from domestic cricket.
He has been warned several times for indiscipline both on and off the cricket field. The BCCI
Board of Control for Cricket in India
The Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered at Mumbai, is the national governing body for all cricket in India. It's not the apex governing body in India. The board was formed in December 1928 as BCCI replaced Calcutta Cricket Club. BCCI is a society, registered under the Tamil Nadu...
issued a final warning to Sreesanth in October 2009, to mend his on-field behaviour, failure of which would invite a suspension from domestic matches. Following this, the Kerala Cricket Association
Kerala Cricket Association
Kerala Cricket Association is the governing body of Cricketing activities in the Kerala state of India. It is affiliated to the Board of Control for Cricket in India....
also issued him a final warning for repeatedly violating code of conduct. This was after Sreesanth failed to turn up at the Kerala Ranji Trophy
Ranji Trophy
The Ranji Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket championship played in India between different city and state sides, equivalent to the County Championship in England and the Sheffield Shield in Australia...
team camp in Kannur
Kannur
Kannur , also known as Cannanore, is a city in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the District of Kannur and 518km north of state capital Trivandrum. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its old name Cannanore, which is still in...
.
However, Sreesanth was recalled to the Indian squad for the first two Test matches against Sri Lanka in the following month. He got the selection after being out of the national team for more than a year and half. He replaced Ishant Sharma
Ishant Sharma
Ishant Sharma is an Indian cricketer. He is a right arm fast medium bowler. He has a high arm delivery action and is not a swinger of the ball but depends a lot on pace and movement off the seam....
for the second Test in Kanpur and his bowling became instrumental in helping India win the Test match by an innings and 144 runs. Sreesanth's five wicket haul in the first innings of the match earned him the Man of the Match award also.
Correct name
In the English-language media, Sreesanth's full name has been the source of some confusion. He has been variously referred to as "Sree Sreesanth", "Sri Sreesanth", "Shantha Sreesanth". and "Shanthakumaran Sreesanth". He has also stated in the past that he wished to be known as "Sree Santh".In September 2007, Sreesanth said that his name was just "Sreesanth" and that the other variations were incorrect:
"It’s Sreesanth. There is no Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, there is no S. Sreesanth. There was this function recently where they called me Sree Sreesanth, then Sree, and finally S Sreesanth. It’s just Sreesanth."