Glitzy IPL set to lose its ringmaster
Embattled Indian Premier League chief Lalit Modi faces the axe this
week, possibly on Monday, as allegations of corruption swirl around the
money-spinning tournament.
The Indian cricket board (BCCI), which owns the IPL, has made up its
mind to sack Modi after the government launched a tax probe into alleged
financial irregularities in the high-profile Twenty20 event.
“Either Modi goes on his own, or he will be pushed out,” a senior
member of the tournament’s governing council told AFP. “His position as
IPL chief has become untenable.”
The BCCI has called an emergency meeting of the IPL’s governing
council in Mumbai on Monday to discuss allegations that include
unsubstantiated media reports of match-fixing in the tournament.
There have been several indications over the past few days that
Modi’s days are numbered.
The board’s top brass, including president Shashank Manohar and
secretary N. Srinivasan, skipped the IPL awards ceremony on Friday night
ahead of Sunday’s final of the tournament’s third edition.
Of the 14 members of the IPL governing council, only three — former
India great Sunil Gavaskar, ex-BCCI chief Inderjit Singh Bindra and Modi
— attended the ceremony in Mumbai.
Other glaring absentees were superstar Sachin Tendulkar, even though
he won both the best batsman and best captain awards, and current
national skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Some media reports have suggested Modi may himself step down after
Sunday’s final to avoid further embarrassment. Modi could also lose his
post as chairman of the T20 Champions League, a club tournament jointly
organised by the cricket boards of India, Australia and South Africa.
The inaugural Champions League was held in India last year, while the
second edition is scheduled to be played in South Africa in September.
The IPL, which began in 2008, features the world’s top cricketers
playing the popular Twenty20 format of the game for eight franchises
owned by India’s wealthy businessmen and film stars.
NEW DELHI, Sunday AFP |
