Banned Srivastava pleads innocence

Kanpur: Tainted Uttar Pradesh paceman Shalabh Srivastava feels he hasn't got "justice" after the BCCI slapped a five-year ban that means that his career is as good as over.

"I still maintain that I am innocent and I have not got justice. When I spoke to [the] BCCI officials, I told them that I have never been involved in any match-fixing. I told them that I haven't even played in this year's IPL and I thought I would get proper justice and won't be punished as I am innocent," an upset Srivastava told PTI Bhasha from Shirdi, where he has gone with his family to seek the blessings of Sai Baba.

The 30-year-old is feeling very low after being handed out a harsh punishment as it means that his career is as good as over and he hasn't given a thought about appealing against the ban.

\"I still maintain that I am innocent and I have not got justice,\" said Srivastava, who has been banned for 5 years.

"I don't know what to do now that I have been banned for five years. May be some sort of divine intervention would help me and that's why I have come with family to seek Sai Baba's blessings," Srivastava added.

The former India U-19 pacer still can't understand that how it was concluded that he has negotiated in trying to fix an IPL match.

"Since I had knee injury, I was in Lucknow going through recuperation process. How can I negotiate with someone and promise him to fix matches and bowl no-balls?" he questioned.

But Srivastava did admit that it was a "huge mistake to befriend unknown people. But I never had any discussions on match-fixing with them."

Srivastava has played 41 first-class matches and has taken 130 wickets.

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