I thought about suicide.

He contemplated "suicide" during
his time at Tihar Jail but pacer S
Sreesanth is now hoping to sing the
redemption song and would
approach the BCCI for lifting the
life ban imposed on him from
playing cricket by the Board.
Sreesanth was last week exonerated
in the 2013 spot-fixing IPL scandal
by a Delhi Court.
"I have sought an appointment with
BCCI Secretary Anurag Thakur. He
has told a TV channel that I can file
an application requesting to lift the
ban.
"I am hopeful after indication from
the higher-ups of the BCCI that it
would consider my request. So I
want to file an application. I am
waiting for his (General Secretary
Anurag Thakur) call. I hope the next
meeting of the BCCI would take a
favourable decision," Sreesanth told
reporters here.
The cricketer, who has played Tests
and ODIs for India, spoke about the
trauma he went through when he
was arrested and put in Tihar jail
after being accused of having nexus
with a cricket betting racket,
allegedly run by underworld don
Dawood Ibrahim and his aide
Chhota Shakeel.
"Initially I thought about suicide. I
could overcome because of my
devotion to Lord Ettumanoorappan
(Lord Shiva in Kerala's famouse
Ettumanoor Mahadevar temple)
and the support given by my
family," Sreesanth said.
Asked if he expects a favourable
response from BCCI, in which
former Delhi Police Commissioner
Neeraj Kumar is Chief advisor to
the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU), the
cricketer said, "After all he is also a
human being. He has also got a
heart."
Sreesanth said that if Kumar, who
ordered his arrest, along with Ajit
Chandila and Ankeet Chavan when
he headed the Delhi police, recalled
the circumstances which led to his
arrest in the 2013 IPL spot-fixing
scandal, he would get a clearer
picture.
"I don't think he would put any
hindrance on my path. After all,
BCCI is a body, not an individual,"
he said.
The cricketer also said he would not
approach the court in case BCCI is
reluctant to lift the ban.
"I will wait. I don't want to
challenge any one. I want to play
cricket," he said.
The cricketer rejected reports that
he had a net session at Jawaharlal
Nehru International Stadium
yesterday evening.
He said he would start practising in
the ground only if his life ban is
lifted.
The stadium at Kaloor, owned by
Greater Cochin Development
Authority (GCDA), has been
partially leased out to the Kerala
Cricket Association, a member of
the BCCI, for 30 years for hosting
Test matches.