Kochi: Kerala cricketer Sanju Samson’s domestic career has hit a roadblock as the former Rajasthan Royals player has been issued a show-cause notice for allegedly misbehaving during the ongoing Ranji Trophy. The Kerala Cricket Association has constituted a four-member inquiry committee chaired by its vice-president T.R. Balakrishnan and comprising Alappuzha district secretary Sreejith V. Nair and former Ranji players S. Ramesh and P. Ranganadan to probe into the cricketer’s antics following his ouster from the Kerala squad citing poor performance.
Sanju, 22, miffed by the news of his exclusion for Kerala’s eighth Ranji match against Tripura in Cuttack, had allegedly broken his bat inside the dressing room and absconded in a previous round. To make issues complicated for the 2013 Best Young Player of the IPL, his father Viswanadh Samson had allegedly made abusive phone calls to KCA officials, including president T.C. Mathew. “There are certain things one cannot do and it includes not rubbing the authorities on the wrong side,” said a KCA official.
Sanju Samson was part of the India-A squad that toured Australia in July-August, scoring nearly 150 runs, including two fifties. He was later included in an unofficial Test against Australia ‘A’ and had performed well. But his domestic form has been a matter of concern despite starting the season with a 154 against J&K. It was a downhill ride thereafter for the swashbuckling batsman from Thiruvananthapuram as he has made just 180 runs from 10 innings.
Meanwhile, the KCA could not confirm if the wicket-keeper batsman will come into contention if absolved of the charges of his misbehaviour. Mr T.C. Mathew refused to comment on the issue stating the matter was on the desk of the committee and, meanwhile, the cricketer was unavailable for comments. Kerala will play its final Ranji match against Services beginning on December 7 and its one-day season will begin in February.
