Kochi, Mar 7: He may have been expecting a welcome as grand as given to some of his fellow players in their respective hometowns, but Keralite speedster Sreesanth was just greeted by a few Shahrukh Khan Fan Club members.

Officials of the local cricket association and the Kerala Government were conspicuous by their absence when Sreesanth arrived at Kochi Airport a day after being felicitated by the Indian cricket board for the team’s one-day series win in Australia.

"I was not sure about this kind of victory for India before leaving Kerala, but we were all hopeful that India will do good and try its best to win the series, and that happened. I really thank God for this, and also the selectors who selected me for the match, and ofcourse, the prayers and blessings of my family members. I think all of this encouraged me to reach the finals, said Sreesanth".

He was happy to see his family at the airport, while fans placed a feather cap on his head and garlands around his neck, his father placed a traditional shawl around him.

Twin brothers S. Sajib and S. Mujib expressed disappointment over the absence of Kerala Cricket Association officials at the airport. “We represent the SRK Fans Club in Kochi and Sreesanth is the chief patron of it here. So, we came here to receive him at the airport and are very upset to see no one turning up at the airport to receive this star of Kerala.” (ANI)