'A new beginning for me'

Conventional wisdom suggests this is Sreesanth's last chance to set right a stop-start career: one slip here and he might fade back to the sidelines. It's an assessment Sreesanth is aware of and agrees with - and, crucially, says he is acting on. "I would like to say sorry to people who have believed and supported me earlier but who feel I have let them down with my stuff," he told Cricinfo. "All I want from people is to have faith in me.

"I know I am tagged with lots of negative publicity. But I am what I am. All I can assure every cricket follower in India is that when it comes to playing and preparation, I am as disciplined and dedicated as anyone else. This is a new beginning for me and my best years are ahead of me."

In many ways, though, this is a selection by default. Tired of his antics, India have tried to look beyond Sreesanth but the likes of RP Singh and Munaf Patel haven't managed to perform consistently and secure their place. He hasn't been outstanding or match-winning of late but he has turned in several good spells that have impressed the likes of Allan Donald. It's a selection based on what he can do rather than what he has done.

His past, though, seems to have caught up with him. Other bowlers get away with the stares and the sledging but Sreesanth knows he will be on trial forever. "Yes I can see why it's happening… My past. I guess I will just have to take it in the right spirit and use this opportunity to start afresh. I'm sure I won't cross the thin line between professionalism and foolery."

Crossing that line has really hurt him; while Sreesanth the bowler is respected, Sreesanth the man is seen in different light, even by his fellow cricketers. During the second IPL season, he was mocked by some players after Dwayne Bravo hit him for 21 runs in an over. That really shook him up. "I thank Bravo for hitting me," he told this writer a few days later. "During the strategy break I could see players in the dug-out laughing at me. I'd stopped doing my regular stuff like touching the ground before entering the field and pumping my fists when on top of the bowling mark. I thought people would ridicule me, I had become too conscious of whatever I did. But that night when I went to bed I decided I can't be someone else… I can't live a different life."

That dug-out incident saved Sreesanth from suffocating himself. The routine returned - the signature self-exhortations, the rituals, the celebrations - but less frequent. At last month's Irani Trophy game - where he was the best bowler on view, cutting the ball both ways - his signature traits were visible only when he wanted to psyche himself up.

Walking that thin line will be Sreesanth's biggest test. Will he be able to free himself up? Will he be able to forget what others think of him? Will he be able to concentrate on just his bowling? Most importantly, will he be able to resist the baiting from the crowd?

In some ways, his relationship with the crowd has been his biggest downfall. That retaliatory dance against Andre Nel in Johannesburg was the beginning of his slide; the crowd seemed to love his "character", the media played it up and Sreesanth got carried away. He started to try to live up to the myth and bridge the gap between reality and media projection. Donald hit the nail on the head when he said that Sreesanth was a "little kitten off the field" and his on-field demeanor was frustrating because "it is not the real him. It is false in the way he conducts himself."

There are some good signs, though. In the Irani Trophy, the crowd routinely tried baiting him, seeking a glimpse of the old Sreesanth, but he resisted. Only on couple of occasions he indulged them with a wave and a disarming smile. However, he was dragged into an altercation by Dhawal Kulkarni and though Sreesanth maintains he didn't use any abusive words, he was fined 60% of his match fee. "The Irani Trophy was just a one-off incident," Sreesanth says. "I didn't abuse. It went really wrong and I have put it behind me. Now, I am only worried about cricket."

What about his cricket? Donald felt that there was just one area, technically, which is letting down Sreesanth currently. "He has got a slight technical glitch where he sits back and doesn't really use his front arm well, which makes him swing the ball a bit early." Sreesanth says he read Donald's views and has been working hard to get the front arm kicking into his action more. "I have been training hard and doing lots of visualizations."

The hunger and desire is there. "It has been a rough break for 19 months. The first nine months were fine as I was recovering from injury but the next ten months were really frustrating. There were lots of controversies and I would like to thank all the people who have supported me. I really hope that I make use of this opportunity. I would like to take wickets, help India win matches and grab my spot in the team."

He's done the third part; if he can do the first, the second should follow.