- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Suspended Indian Premier League boss Lalit Modi has been accused of inciting revolution among players and dividing world cricket via the formation of a parallel IPL event in England.
The plan, revealed by England’s cricket chief Giles Clarke in an email to the Indian Board (BCCI), involved English county sides playing a tournament.
Modi held a secret meeting with officials from three counties, believed to be Warwickshire, Yorkshire and Lancashire, in New Delhi on March 31 to discuss the proposal without the knowledge of the concerned boards.
“I am certain BCCI had no knowledge of this meeting nor of these proposals, but Mr Modi clearly represents that IPL and its Governing Council are offering financial inducements to English counties,” Clarke said in a note to BCCI president Shashank Manohar.
“We also wish to take action against IMG for promoting this along with Mr Modi and to seek their banning from world cricket.
“ICC Regulations are very clear concerning contacts of this nature, which are forbidden.”
The BCCI has asked Modi to explain the move, which it described as “detrimental to Indian cricket, English cricket and world cricket at large”.
In the five-page notice to Modi, BCCI secretary N. Srinivasan listed the details of the plan, which included attracting counties to the parallel league by offering them huge sums of money.
“You have allegedly discussed this as a commercial proposition… that the IPL would guarantee each county a minimum of three-five million dollars per annum plus a staging fee of 1.5 million dollars,” Srinivasan wrote to Modi.
Under the alleged deal, returns would be shared 80:20 between the franchises and the counties, with a player model based on the IPL – in short, an offer too good to refuse.
“You have allegedly planted a seed of thought of players’ revolt if the governing bodies of respective cricket boards do not allow them to participate in this extended version of IPL,” said Srinivasan.
He added the plan not only challenged the authority of the BCCI and the England Cricket Board, but that both governing bodies would be “forced to watch helplessly while the game and the power of administration are hijacked.”
Modi has been given 15 days to answer the charge, in addition to multiple allegations of corruption he is already facing.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.