'I can bowl as quickly as any 19-year-old': Sreesanth makes big claim, says he was denied 'farewell' in Ranji Trophy

Sreesanth on Wednesday retired from all forms of domestic cricket, drawing curtains on his tumultuous career.

Pacer S Sreesanth, who was a part of World Cup-winning India squads, announced retirement from all forms of competitive cricket on Wednesday, pulling down curtains on a career that witnessed many sparkling moments. A character on and off the field, Sreesanth played 27 Tests, 53 ODIs and 10 T20Is for India, picking up 87, 75 and seven wickets respectively.

File image of Sreesanth (Getty Images)

He made the announcement through a series of tweets and said he has chosen to end his 25-year career for the next generation of cricketers. The Kerala cricketer was a part of the Indian team that won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007. He also went on to lift the ODI World Cup in 2011.

"It has been an honour to represent my family, my teammates, and the people of India. Nd everyone who loves the game. With much sadness but without regret, I say this with a heavy heart: I am retiring from the Indian domestic (first class and all formats) cricket," wrote Sreesanth.

Sreesanth, 39, last played for Kerala in their Ranji Trophy match against Meghalaya last month. He picked up two wickets as Kerala won the game by an innings and 166 runs, and Sreesanth has alleged that his wish for a farewell game had been denied by the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA).

Kerala's fixture against Gujarat would have been Sreesanth’s last in professional cricket. “I was looking forward to playing the match against Gujarat in the Ranji Trophy. In the team meeting ahead of the game, I had made it clear that it would be my last match for Kerala. I believe I deserved a farewell match Sreesanth told Manorama after announcing his retirement.

Sreesanth is someone who wears his heart on the sleeve and the paceman believes he can still clock over 130 kph. "Of course. I can still bowl at 132 kmph consistently. I can bowl as quickly as any 19-year-old bowler. However, I do not want to eat up the place of a deserving youngster."

Sreesanth further opened up about his future plans and hinted towards coaching stints and playing franchise cricket across the globe. He is also gearing up for his first movie in Tamil. "I am open to playing franchise-based leagues across the world. I have received some coaching offers too. Also, I want to focus on my film career. My first movie in Tamil will hit the screens in April. I have already acted in a Kannada movie called Kempegowda 2," he further said.