Banned pace bowler Shalabh Srivastava might have to wait a little longer in the hope to play any form of cricket again.

Shalabh’s writ petition figures at No. 5 in the additional cause list for Friday, the last working day before the court closes for nine days on account of the Dussehra holidays.

Though the case has been listed on a number of occasions, it has not been heard on merits. His case has hardly been taken up due to heavy workload on the bench, and if it’s not heard on Friday, he will have to wait a bit longer.

Srivastava, 31, has prayed for quashing of the ban, imposed for being “ guilty of misconduct under 3.1 ( vi), 3.1 ( viii), and 3.2 ( ii), ( xii) and ( xiv) of the BCCI regulations”, as the three- member BCCI disciplinary committee wrote in its judgement. The Lucknowbased left- arm pacer was banned by the Board of Control for Cricket in India ( BCCI) for what the Board called “ agreeing to spot fixing, and making unsubstantiated allegations against the BCCI and other Srivastava had moved the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court in the hope of getting an interim relief so that he could start playing cricket again, till a final decision in the case was taken. But after a series of hearings could not be held due to paucity of time, the former Kings XI Punjab player has one last chance to have his prayers heard on Friday.

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Sources said that since several cases are lined up for the last day before the holidays begin, the “ rush of work” could prevent the court from taking up the case. Just in case Shalabh’s petition is not heard on Friday, it would be taken up after the court reopens on October 29.

A division bench comprising Justice Uma Nath Singh and Justice Virendra Kumar Dixit is hearing the case.