Mumbai, June 2 (IBNS) Lalit Modi, suspended Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman, has accused N.Srinivasan, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), of harassing him by issuing showcause notices on flimsy grounds.
Replying to the second show casue notice, Modi said the board secretary appears to be keen on defending England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief Giles Clarke than protecting his interests as the board vice-president.
The charge sheet was slapped on Modi on complaints made by Clarke, who said the suspended IPL chairman was trying to create a parallel league in England and splitting world cricket.
Modi said: ‘I am pained that instead of standing up for me and advising Mr.Clarke to desist from making patently irresponsible, unfounded and motivated allegations against me, you have chosen to issue a show cause notice to me.’
‘Considering my contribution to the IPL over the past 3 years and my firm and unyielding stand against rebel/unofficial cricket… the least that was expected, in the circumstances, was that the elementary courtesy of seeking my response or comment, be extended to me. Instead, you have, hastily, chosen to issue a show cause notice to me.’
‘What is even more unfortunate is that (like Mr. Clarke) the show cause notice makes allegations which go beyond those made by Mr.Clarke. The show cause notice makes various assumptions and presumptions which are totally misconceived and baseless,’ he said.
In the letter, Modi also pointed out that BCCI president Shashank Manohar was well aware that in the past he had several disagreements and discord.
‘We have, in the past, have had several ‘run ins’. I have commented on this below. That Mr. Clarke, therefore, had an animus against me, was no secret. I may advert to facts which manifest the malice, ill will and animus that Mr.Clarke harbours against me and which prompted him to make allegations that I regard as completely lacking in reason,’ Modi said.
Modi said that it was Clarke, who wanted the IPL’s model be replicated in England, where the Twenty20 originated.
‘It is well known in informed cricketing circles that Mr. Clarke holds a personal grudge against me. This started as far back as 2008. Mr. Clarke came to India at the time of the IPL Season 1 and noticed that the IPL was a resounding success. He then decided that the IPL should be replicated in the UK in some form, where the T20 format originated,’ Modi said.
‘He publicly expressed his admiration on the achievements of BCCI – IPL at the ECB’s A.G.M. at Lords. For reasons best known to him, however, he chose not to follow the IPL model, but evolved a different model of his own. This attracted criticism, which he countered by publicly announcing that his model was superior to and would do better than the IPL,’ Modi said.
Modi’s lawyer Mehmood Abdi said the third notice slapped Monday on his client was another way to harass him.
‘Our main line of defence is Lalit Modi has nothing to hide. This show cause business has become a ridiculous affair. If they had some issues, all should have come in the first show cause notice,’ Abdi said.
