A day after BCCI-appointed Commissioner Sudhir Nanavati submitted a 14-page report to the Board, the BCCI’s Disciplinary Committee acted swiftly to impose the ban on the beleaguered spinner, who will now miss the forthcoming tri-series in Bangladesh and two matches of the Asia Cup in Pakistan.

The BCCI also warned Sreesanth to mend his ways and said failure to do so would necessitate the Board to take appropriate action against him.

The 27-year-old Harbhajan, who had already been banned from the Indian Premier League (IPL) and fined a whopping Rs 3 crore match fee for the level 4 offence, was summoned by the Disciplinary Committee, headed by president Sharad Pawar, to hear his views on the incident. The incident took place after an IPL match on April 25.
“The committee decided to ban Harbhajan Singh for five one-day internationals, and further observed that any further instance of misconduct will invoke a life-ban,” the BCCI said in a statement. “The player admitted his guilt in the matter concerned. He prayed for leniency and assured that there would not be any misconduct on his part in the future,” the Board said.

The off-spinner will have to sit out of the tri-series in Bangladesh to be held from June 8-14 and the first two matches of the Asia Cup scheduled to be held in Pakistan from June 24-July 6.

Sreesanth received an earful as well. “The Board is constrained to warn you and in the event you do not improve your behaviour, the Board would be constrained to take appropriate decision,” the Board said.