Former Madhya Pradesh fast bowler TP Sudhindra had his life ban for purportedly colluding to fix a local match during a sting operation reduced to 10 years and eight months by the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s Ombudsman Vineet Saran. Sudhindra, now 38, last played a game in May 2012 — representing Deccan Chargers versus Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
When contacted, Sudhindra, said, “I just want to come back and play at the ground. Want to do some fitness and let’s see where my destiny takes me. I don’t want to recall my past and instead want to look to the future.”
Sudhindra played 27 first-class cricket for MP and took 108 wickets. He was the highest wicket-taker in the 2012 Ranji Trophy season and was also picked for an India ‘A’ tour as well.
In his order, Saran wrote that the applicant (Sudhindra) was not provided with anti-corruption training. The applicant also said that his life ban was harsh because his alleged comments in the sting operation were related to a domestic match and players like India fast bowler S Sreesanth was given a life ban by the BCCI for alleged spot-fixing in the IPL
“Thus, it was submitted that the punishment of life ban imposed on the Applicant is disproportionate vis- â-vis the offence committed by him. It is also important to note that the Applicant was not provided Anti-Corruption training since the Anti-Corruption Unit of BCCI, made for the purpose of providing Anti-Corruption education to players participating in domestic games was announced just days before the video footage incident in the present matter,” Saran wrote in its order accessed by The Indian Express.
He further accepted the application submitted by Sudhindra and wrote, “His (Sudhindra) prayer for reducing the duration of the ban imposed to the period already undergone by him is allowed. The life ban imposed on him by Order of BCCI Disciplinary Committee dated 30.06.2012 is thus reduced to the period already undergone by him i.e. till 10.02.2023.”
Sudhindra was banned by BCCI’s disciplinary committee in 2012. The committee had also banned Uttar Pradesh medium-pacer Shalabh Srivastava for five years, while Delhi and Himachal all-rounder Abhinav Bali, Madhya Pradesh batsmen Mohnish Mishra and Goa all-rounder Amit Yadav were banned for a year each.