‘Sreesanth still unplayable with his swing and pace,’ Former Kerala captain eager for fast bowler’s return

Baby, who has played several matches for Kerala with Sreesanth, said he cannot wait to play alongside his ‘brother’ and that the pacer is bowling really well in the nets.

Kerala batsman Sachin Baby is hopeful of S Sreesanth making a comeback into the team. The fast bowler, who was banned for his involvement in the 2013 IPL Spot-Fixing scandal, will be free to resume playing cricket once his suspension is lifted in August, and Sreesanth, who has picked up 60 First-Class and 16 List-A wickets for Kerala, can make his return to domestic cricket provided he is able to prove his fitness, reckoned coach Tinu Yohannan.

S Sreesanth bowling for India in a Test from 2011. (Getty Images)

In October last year, Sreesanth was seen bowling to Baby in nets, in which he clean bowled the former Kerala captain. Baby, who has played several matches for Kerala with Sreesanth, said he cannot wait to play alongside his ‘brother’ and that he is bowling really well in the nets.

“I am really very happy because he is a brother to me. For the last seven years, I was waiting for him to come back to the Kerala side and perform. We all wanted him to play at the higher category,” Sachin Baby told television commentator and presenter Arun Venugopal on Instagram show ‘Homerun With AV’.

“We used to train together for the last couple of years, he was helping me a lot. Still we are working together, practicing together, travelling together, bonding really well. He is really bowling well in the nets. The video has gone viral as well. Whenever he bowls to me, I tend to get out because of his pace and swing. He is still unplayable.”

Kerala had a forgettable 2019-20 Ranji Trophy season, losing five out of eight matches, a stark contrast to how the team had fared in the season before (2018-19) winning four matches and finishing with 26 points. Even when Sreesanth was serving his ban, Baby revealed how the fast bowler would have ideas to share about the Kerala team with Baby and insisted that the team played Irani Trophy.

“We have to work on his match fitness. We are working hard on his bowling. He has been bowling really well in the nets, he is getting wickets in the nets. We are waiting for the rainy season to get over and get on the ground,” Baby said.

“Even when he was not playing and when I was the captain, he used to tell me what the Kerala side should be doing, what should be our goal He always tells us that we should play the Irani Cup. Whatever he told me, I used to tell my teammates. People think that it is my way of expressing things, but it was Sree telling and me sharing it to the players.”