Sreesanth’s family lives just a stone’s throw away from the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the only ground that currently hosts international cricket in Kerala. But for the last two years, the cricketer has not been allowed to train there.
The spot-fixing charges that brought the Indian fast bowler a life ban virtually sent his parents and loved ones into a shell. His father Santhakumaran Nair, a regular fixture at cricket functions earlier, was frequently missing from many events and phone calls almost always went unanswered.
“God has been with us all along,” said Mr. Nair on Saturday, tears welling up in his eyes, minutes after news came in that the spot-fixing charges against his son had been dropped. The last 26 months had been very tough for the family.
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“The way people saw us, the way they reacted, caused us a lot of pain. We are confident that Sreesanth will return to cricket,” he said.
“We are very thankful to God and to everyone who prayed for him,” said his mother Savithri Devi. “We stay very near the stadium, but to see him not being able to step in there was heartbreaking. He suffered a lot. We know how hard it was for him.”