Former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi on Thursday demanded that the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) be suspended to clean it up and restore people's faith in the Twenty20 tournament.
Seconding former BCCI president Shashank Manohar that the IPL has lost its credibility and should be given a break to clean-up the system, Modi said in a statement: "One meticulous probe be conducted immediately and all the erring parties be punished so that we are able to purge cricket and initiate a complete clean up, so that this generation and all future generations to come are able to view the gentleman's game in right earnest."
Modi's statement, backing his bête noire Manohar, is quite interesting in the context that it was during the latter's tenure in 2010 that BCCI threw him out of the IPL and all cricketing activities. Srinivasan was the secretary then.
Modi is currently based in London and fighting many a legal battles of financial bungling during his IPL Commissioner tenure. "I completely agree with Mr Shashank Manohar and his observations on the fact that the serious allegations regarding betting, spot-fixing and match-fixing are all seriously tarnished the image of the game and importantly, the fans and the public at large are slowly but surely starting to lose faith in the IPL in particular and game at large. Given the above context and the current goings-on, I think it only right that until the faith of the people in the integrity of the game is restored, the IPL tournament for the year 2014 should be suspended," said Modi.
Modi also blamed the current BCCI administrators for not doing enough after IPL match-fixing and betting scandal was unearthed last May.
"Unfortunately the BCCI had one full year — 365 days to gear up into some action, but alas to no avail. We all know what sadly happened. A lot of players, too, have felt the same way especially given the uncertainty in the air, but have failed to voice their opinions for wont of a fierce backlash from the powers that be," said Modi.
"I agree with Mr. Shashank Manohar wholeheartedly, that had an unbiased thorough investigation happened when the scandal broke, we would have been on a better wicket today. For, if the faith of these fans is not restored immediately, who know what the far reaching repercussions would be. I for one can only shudder to think of the consequences then," he added.
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