Former member of the Indian cricket team Ajay Jadeja on Monday thanked all those who had stood by him in his hour of crisis.
He was commenting on how he felt about the five-year ban imposed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India two years ago, for his alleged involvement in match-fixing, being lifted by the Delhi high court after the arbitrator appointed by the court termed the ban as illegal.
Speaking to Star Television network, Jadeja said that he got the news about the ban being lifted while commuting between Cochin and Delhi.
"Naturally I was thrilled. The moment I got down from the plane I went to my advocate's house and met him and his father, who had stood by me through the entire ban," he said.
Asked if he thinks there is a chance for him to make a comeback into the national side, he said, "Of course. I am only 31 and I have many more years ahead of me. You cannot separate cricket from me," adding, he said he had to approached the court to prove his innocence.
Former captain of the Indian cricket team, Kapil Dev, said, "I felt the ban imposed on them [Jadeja, Azharuddin and others] was unfair. They should not have banned the cricketers from playing cricket. The investigations could have gone on simultaneously. This kind of ban is criminal."
Jadeja's lawyer Vineet Malhotra said that he was pleased with the ruling of the court and his client was looking forward to getting back on the field first thing on Tuesday. "We are delighted that the court has set aside the ban. We have been proved right."
