MUMBAI, APRIL 23
Facing the heat of intense probe and virtually isolated, embattled IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi today appears to have dropped plans to move court against the Monday meeting of the Governing Council and pleaded for time to answer questions.
After contending that the Monday meeting of the IPL’s Governing Council was illegal and that only he had the power to convene it, Modi wrote to the top brass of BCCI pleading for five days time for such a meeting in which he will answer all questions.
“I have worked for you for five years… Give me just five days to prepare answers to all the questions,” Modi communicated to BCCI, sources close to him said.
At the same time, they said that Modi is not going to Courts to challenge the governing council meeting on April 26 and he is just requesting for more time.
Modi is believed to have argued that the IPL final would be played on April 25 and hence he would not have time to prepare for the Governing Council meeting the next day.
“I need to prepare the documents to support my replies to all the questions… I have worked for you (BCCI) for five long years without taking any money… consider giving me just five days for the documents,” his communication said.
The fact that he was increasingly getting isolated in the Cricket Board was apparent when BCCI President Shashank Manohar, Secretary N Srinivasan and IPL Vice-Chairman Niranjan Shah chose to keep away from the Awards function being steered by Modi.
Sunil Gavaskar was the only Governing Council member who was present at the Awards Night, to honour the best-performing players in the IPL.
The BCCI had already made it clear that it would go ahead with the meeting and may even remove him from the Commissioner’s post.
Another Governing Council member Rajiv Shukla gave enough hints that Modi should quit. “Wisdom should prevail upon him,” he said when asked whether Modi should quit.
Shukla, who briefed Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee earlier in the day, asserted that the Governing Council will meet on April 26 as scheduled.
Modi’s fate hangs in balance as the Governing Council is expected to discuss the IPL controversy amid allegations that “betting and money-laundering” had taken place.
