Sreesanth is still unplayable, bowling well in the nets: Sachin Baby

Controversial Indian fast bowler Sreesanth is all set to make his comeback for Kerala after the KCA decided to consider him for the upcoming Ranji season. Having last played competitive cricket in the 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL), the speedster is all geared up for a return after more than seven years. And he hasn’t lost steam in his bowling, going by what Kerala’s Sachin Baby said.

Baby, who led Kerala to the Ranji semis in 2018-19, was of the opinion that Sreesanth is still unplayable and he finds the pacer difficult to play. The duo has been training together for quite a while and has developed a healthy camaraderie.

Sreesanth was helping me a lot, says Baby

“I am really very happy because he is a brother to me. For the last 7 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,” Baby told to television commentator 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,” Baby stated.

Though Sreesanth has been considered, his selection depends on whether or not he’s able to prove his fitness. Former Indian fast bowler Tinu Yohanan, also Kerala’s head coach, said that he’s happy to have Sreesanth back into the scheme of things.

Baby understands that Sreesanth has to work harder on his fitness and also lauded him for bowling well in practice sessions. “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,” he added.

Sreesanth last played a first-class match in the 2013 Irani Cup, representing the Rest of India (ROI) in the match against Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium. Thereafter, the IPL spot-fixing scandal turned his career upside down and his suspension ends on September 2020.