Dubai: India's medium-pacer Shantakumaran Sreesanth is set to land up in a situation where he may not have a state to represent in the coming Ranji Trophy tournament.
Sreesanth, who is angry at being denied the captaincy of Kerala, has decided to quit the state and play for another state. He has also hit out at the Kerala cricket team selectors and officials.
Sreesanth will be able to play for another state only if he receives a no objection certificate (NOC) from the state association. This medium pacer, who is now out of the Indian team due to lack of form and fitness said that the Kerala selectors did not personally inform him about the change of captaincy.
Promising batsman Raiphi Vincent Gomes, who got into the Indian record books by hitting 34 runs in one over against Hyderabad in the Subbaiah Pillai One-day tournament, is the new captain.
T.C. Mathew, the secretary of the Kerala Cricket Association said: "I feel Sreesanth's statement is an emotional outburst and I don't want to react to that. All players have a code of conduct and no one is above that."
Mathew said that if Sreesanth wants to play for another state he has to apply for an NOC. "Once he applies for the NOC then we will have to present it before our state body meeting and then take a decision," added Mathew. Kerala chief selector and former South Zone players K. Jayaram said that Sreesanth was not given the captaincy as he may not be available for all matches due to his international commitments and that the state needed a captain who may get to play all the matches. He was also informed of the decision.
Sreesanth was pulled up by the state association last season for not attending the state's training camp.
