25 March 2024 last updated at 19:12 GMT
 
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CRICKET CLEAN UP OF ADMINISTRATORS
Lalit K Modi

CRICKET CLEAN UP OF ADMINISTRATORS 

I have been away from the world of cricket for some time now. The sport I love has depressed me in many ways. The powers that be have for very long let the game down and in turn, hurt the fans – the true shareholders of the sport.

We are all by-products of the sport and can never be more significant than the game itself. So, it really beats me why this simple assertion is not understood by those who run the sport.

This arrogance was visible in the way the International Cricket Council (ICC) and its member boards have reacted to the latest Al Jazeera expose on match-fixing in cricket. It is the worst kept secret that the bookmakers are having a field day and absolutely nothing has been done to check them by anyone. It almost serves everyone’s interest to hush up the matter.

Al Jazeera criticises ICC, CA, ECB responses to spot-fixing allegations 

The other case that has been of interest to everyone has been the wave of allegations swirling around powerful men owing to aggrieved women coming forward in the massive #metoo campaign. Just when it seemed that our favourite sport will not be hit by the storm, came the news that BCCI’s CEO Rahul Johri too has been caught in the crossfire. There are investigations still underway so let that matter reach its logical conclusion.

Another sexual harassment allegation against BCCI CEO Rahul Johri

What should, however, be of immediate concern for the sport worldwide and in particular in India, is the complete disregard for contractual obligations by its long-term administrators. The fountainhead of all the problems in BCCI, N Srinivasan along with his minions has destroyed the sport in India with his ham-handed approach. It is what I would call a very serious form of fixing. Only this time it is corruption of, by and for the officialdom. In any case, it affects the sport in a big way.

This form of corruption by men in high places in cricket is also fixing, but it gets swept under the carpet. For the last eight years, I have been raising my voice against this but to no avail. We have just had no recourse to justice because most of the decision-makers have some agenda in this loot.

READ THE BLOG IN HINDI

What was started by Srinivasan was continued by his friend turned foe turned friend Anurag Thakur.

The problem started first with the cancellation of the Pune Sahara Warriors and Kochi IPL franchises. The franchises had been added to the IPL in 2011 after much consternation. But, the vilest of the men, Srinivasan, completely disregarded the whole process and conspired with his minions to cancel first Kochi and then the Pune franchises.

Pune Warriors terminated from IPL

Kochi Franchise terminated by BCCI

Also, gone in the process was the Hyderabad franchise owned at the time by the Deccan Chronicle group. There was a concerted effort to build a close link between all the corrupt and cronies of Srinivasan seamlessly. With little or no voice of dissent, Srinivasan steamrolled his way. This was a way of controlling the overall fortunes of the IPL, by bringing in a pliable set of owners to achieve his own personal ends. If this is not fixing then what is? Is it not conspiring to fix something for your personal gain? I don’t want to even start with the ‘cricket enthusiast’ son in law Gurunath Meiyappan.

The overall loss to BCCI from this blatant misuse of power was close to the tune of $633 million. Can you beat this? Everyone after that in the BCCI just merely signed off the loss almost as if nothing happened. They just nodded their heads and swallowed the losses. Who gained? Srinivasan, who lost? Indian cricket, biggest losers in the bargain? Cricketers.

After that, the thugs who run Indian cricket let the whole sport down with their approach.

The Champions League Twenty20 was a tournament conceived jointly by me for the BCCI in association with Cricket Australia (CA) and Cricket South Africa (CSA). The three partners were concurrently running the tournament, with BCCI being the biggest benefactors for apparent reasons. Over the years some well-wishers have asked me why CLT20 was so close to my heart? Because quite simply the format would have taken the sport to new territories.

Which other tournament offers you an opportunity to get the best cricketers from across the globe playing on one platform? There is just not one single tournament like the CLT20. The country vs. country format only gets you the creamy layer, but what CLT20 did was to democratize the sport in a big way.

READ THE BLOG IN BENGALI

The financial benefits for the players, franchises and the home boards was tremendous. Imagine sides from New Zealand, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Pakistan competed with teams from India and Australia. Their players got better, and more importantly, they went back with a rich haul of not just wickets and runs, but also financial gains (participation fee + prize money et al)

For once cricket in the less fortunate countries was getting a reason to survive and continue with the sport. I knew from the very first day that the tournament will need a more extended period of gestation than the IPL. Remember six or more non-IPL teams were playing in the tournament, so gains were going to be slow to count.

The broadcaster led by their incorrigible boss Rupert Murdoch did not see it like thatThey wanted immediate gains. They found a pliant partner in crime in who else but the same old, N Srinivasan. Thakur jumped into the fray and successfully dismantled an agreement which I had ensured locked the Star Group in a binding 10-year contract with a non-exit clauseBut the lawyers and Thakur along with Srinivasan successfully dismantled the tournament. 

THE CLT20 FINAL EXECUTED RIGHTS AGREEMENT

NOTE ON CLT20 CANCELLATION BY BCCI

The result was the loss of 500 million USD; world cricket is poorer for the loss, and just no one seems to be concerned by the complete lack of process. This I feel is a bigger crime than hurting cricketers by hearsay and inadequate evidence. Cricketers have been barred at times for lesser crimes, and rightly so. But what about the officials who have bled Indian cricket alone for close to 1 billion USD?

LOSSES TO THE BCCI

The state of the sport worldwide is appalling, some extra cash coming by way of CLT20 would have helped keep the existing stakeholders alive. Instead, we are staring at an abyss with no future for the sport. Someone needs to step forward and take up the cudgels to scrub the sport of its filth. Because remember corruption is not just on the field, but more often a lot of it is off the field.

I said it four years ago (Check my tweets from 2014 listed below) and I am saying it again. The clean sweep of cricket administrators is the need of the hour. 

The transcripts of conversations between Vindoo & others clearly reveal that IPL CEO Sundar Raman introduced him to IPL players and others

— Lalit Kumar Modi (@LalitKModi) March 24, 2014


The link between Vindoo Dara Singh and IPL CEO needs to be investigated

— Lalit Kumar Modi (@LalitKModi) March 24, 2014


We should have a zero tolerance towards fixing of any kind in cricket. Stern action needs to be taken against everyone involved.

— Lalit Kumar Modi (@LalitKModi) March 24, 2014


TV deals are taking precedence over cricket right now. No one cares about fixing in Cement house right now. They want to cement deals only

— Lalit Kumar Modi (@LalitKModi) March 24, 2014


The BCCI and the ICC are not interested in solving the problem of fixing in the sport 

— Lalit Kumar Modi (@LalitKModi) March 24, 2014


The ICC has evidence against various players being involved in fixing during the Champions League and other forms of global cricket

— Lalit Kumar Modi (@LalitKModi) March 24, 2014


The ICC's been sitting on evidence for long time due to certain vested interests in world cricket.

— Lalit Kumar Modi (@LalitKModi) March 24, 2014


I've evidence to suggest there was fixing in the Champions League T20 and if the ICC don’t bring it out in the public within a week; I will

— Lalit Kumar Modi (@LalitKModi) March 24, 2014


The evidence contains players’ statements. My question is why hasn’t the ICC made the evidence public yet? What are they waiting for?

— Lalit Kumar Modi (@LalitKModi) March 24, 2014


Mafia first induces players with gifts and monetary benefits, then often resorts to intimidation to get players to bow to their ill will


— Lalit Kumar Modi (@LalitKModi) March 24, 2014

 

 

Lalit Kumar Modi

FOUNDER AND ARCHITECT – IPL 

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