Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Shashank Manohar today arrived in the capital to hold discussions with former cricket board chief and Union Minister Sharad Pawar in the wake of the controversy surrounding the Indian Premier League (IPL).
A close aide of Mr. Manohar confirmed that the BCCI chief will meet Mr. Pawar and some other board officials during his stay here.
Mr. Manohar’s visit comes amid reports that the top brass of BCCI are planning to remove Lalit Modi from the post of IPL Commissioner and Chairman. The meeting also assumes significance as Mr. Pawar is said to be backing Mr. Modi.
The cricket board has also rescheduled its Working Committee meeting from April 24 to May 2 as it wants the IPL Governing Council - which is expected to meet here on April 26, a day after the IPL final - to first discuss the issue.
The BCCI top officials are said to be extremely unhappy with Mr. Modi after he triggered the controversy by tweeting the Kochi franchise’s stake-holding pattern, which also brought the cricket board under the Income Tax department’s scanner.
Modi thanks Mallya for support
Meanwhile Lalit Modi has thanked Royal Challengers Bangalore owner Vijay Mallya for supporting him at this crisis hour.
Mr. Modi appreciated Mr. Mallya’s gesture, who credited the IPL Commissioner for the high-profile Twenty20 event’s mindboggling success.
“Thanks @thevijaymallya for the support..... truly appreciate your gesture,” Mr. Modi wrote on his twitter page.
“Unfortunately, this entire issue has snowballed into an unnecessary storm. As far as I’m concerned, I’m full of appreciation for what Lalit Modi has delivered through the IPL. If he has issues with the Government of India, that’s his private matter and he needs to deal with it,” Mr. Mallya had said.
