OTD| Controversial Indian pacer S Sreesanth was born in 1983

Former India fast-bowler from Kerala, S Sreesanth, is celebrating his 41st birthday today. The tenacious pacer had a very tumultuous career where he witnessed numerous ups and downs but a trait that marked his career was his warrior spirit. As a player, he was known to be a tough opponent and his ability to shine under pressure would always come to the fore during his days in international cricket. 

Sreesanth was only the second player from Kerala to represent India in international cricket and in that sense, he was a trailblazer for cricket in Kerala. The talented young fast-bowler was impressive in domestic cricket and his performances in first-class cricket earned him a call-up for the national team in 2005. He made his international debut in 2005 when he was given an opportunity to play his maiden One-Day international match against Sri Lanka. Later, the selectors showed faith and included him in the Test squad for the home series against England in 2006. He went on to represent India in Test cricket for the first time in the series opener. The aggressive fast-bowler did not stop here and broke into the T20I squad as well. In December 2006 he started his T20I career in South Africa. 

A player for the big occasion 

S Sreesanth was an important part of the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup side. He was particularly vital in the 2007 T20 World Cup when a young team under the leadership of MS Dhoni won the title and Sreesanth showcased his ferocity with a ball in his hand throughout the tournament. 

Unfortunately, he could not play for the Indian team for too long because of spot-fixing controversy. The controversy put an end to his international career which initially promised to be an illustrious one. The spot-fixing allegations did cast a shadow over his career but there would be no doubt over the match-winning potential that he exhibited on various occasions playing for India.