London, May 24: Former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi has been very critical of the way the league has been run by the BCCI and even called board president N Srinivasan a "monster" in one of his recent tweets. he talks about the current spot-fixing controversy, the Sahara pullout and much more.
Excerpts:
What does the Sahara development say about the BCCI and the manner in which it is being run?
If you look at the Sahara statement, it is easy to see why they've pulled the plug. The statement reflects a catalogue of miscommunication, evasion and BCCI's contempt for a company that has been involved in Indian cricket for over a decade. It does not reflect well on those running the game at the moment. I think Sahara have been incredibly benevolent in delaying the withdrawal of their support for the national team until January. This is another reason why those at the top in the BCCI should resign — the list of reasons is growing longer and longer.
Do you think BCCI will become isolated if it does not pull up its socks?
The problem is BCCI has become too strong for the good of the game. They seem to be adopting bully-boy tactics at every turn and they certainly seem to think they're indestructible at the moment. The pressure is mounting but no one wants to make a concerted effort to challenge them. Having said that, the mismanagement is there for all to see and the pendulum might swing. The problem for them now is that the issues are very public and people are beginning to piece together the jigsaw.
Isn't Srinivasan's conflict of interest (he is the BCCI president and owns Chennai Super Kings) hurting the IPL?
Of course! I've been saying that for years — and for years no one has listened. Now the penny is beginning to drop. I was wrongly accused of having an interest in franchises and wrongly castigated as a consequence. The board president's ownership of Chennai is indisputable but for him, it doesn't seem to matter. Of course it is hurting the IPL. It strikes at the very credibility of the tournament and the results are there for all to see. Strangely, everyone has just shrugged shoulders and let him get on with it.
Has Srinivasan succeeded in diluting the powers of the IPL commissioner?
It seems no one else has any direct power these days and it is as if no one can speak unless given permission. When this latest spot-fixing scandal was reported, the IPL commissioner did not say anything. The paying public, the people who fill the stadiums, deserve answers but the man who runs the specific tournament in question was nowhere to be seen. Now that might not be entirely down to him, I don't know, but the lack of communication was terrifying. The problem was massive to start with but so much extra damage is done if the people directly responsible for the tournament don't react.
Has BCCI been fair in the Sahara case, and earlier the Kochi case?
It doesn't look like it. The Sahara statement on their withdrawal was very damming and according to what you can read there it doesn't seem like the BCCI has been very fair or professional enough. I think it is a terrible way to treat a mainline sponsor. As for Kochi, well that was an accident waiting to happen. The BCCI caused the issue in the first place by reducing the guarantees required to purchase the franchise. It weakened the quality of the bidding and it was an inevitable outcome.
Isn't the concept of IPL flawed as it encourages all kinds of elements (including fixers, bookies) to get in and make quick money?
It doesn't make it any more palatable but what people appear to be missing is that the IPL is not the only sporting event where match fixing or spot fixing has gained a hold. The problem is, the people in charge are allowing it to seem that way. In January the FIFA general secretary Jerome Valke said match fixing was "a disease" that could kill football.
In February, the head of Australia's Crime Commission, John Lawler said match fixing was the single biggest problem facing Australian sports. You can't isolate the IPL as being the exclusive province of the fixers, but people are because the IPL has been allowed to become the subject of everybody's criticism. The IPL was built to be sporting entertainment. It was never meant to be a replacement for Test Cricket or ODI but a T20 carnival that was exciting and fun. People should ask whether it's the IPL that's flawed or the people running it.
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