IPL-Indian Preposterous League

Shashi Tharoor is out bowled by Lalit Modi.What remains to be seen is Will Lalit Modi last long to play another innings?.But right now he is on a sticky wicket.There is much more than what meets the eye.Modi had defenitly an ulterior motive when he tweeted about the ownership of the Kochi team franchisee.He had some scores to settle with Sashi Tharoor.Gabriella Demetriades the contestant for Miss IPL last year in South Africa wanted to visit India .It is widely believed Modi asked Tharoor to deny visa to her in January 2010 because Modi had a sour relationship with Gabriella.Tharoor refused to oblige Modi.With Kochi IPL bidding issue Modi found a good opportunity to settle scores with Tharoor.

Lalit Modi is the grand son of the great Industrialist Gujarmal Modi,the founder of Modi Nagar.Lalit is the President and MD of Modi Enterprises. Modi Care,Modi Threads,Godfrey Philips India,Modi Rubber,Fashion TV,Royal Airways,Indofil Chemicals,Modi Hoover,IIFA are some of the organisations that Modi and his family control.Modi came to fore in BCCI only in 2005.since 2008 he is in charge of the IPL,which is said to be the brain child of Modi.As early as 1992 when he was not in BCCI he had put forward a limited over cricket league idea to BCCI,while he was working with ESPN.But BCCI then rejected his proposals. It is believed from that point he worked to get a place in BCCI board.With this in mind he became the Rajasthan Association President and entered the BCCI.With his business acumen he increased the revenues of BCCI.During this period because of BCCI's financial power,BCCI started flexing its muscles even against ICC.Modi becoming the VP of the BCCI he wanted his dream cricket league idea to fructify.BCCI started IPL and Modi became the IPL commissioner for next 5 years.Suddenly Modi became all powerful in the cricket world.In the same year(2008) he was listed among India's 30 most powerful people by India Today. An international business magazine called 'Fast Company' rated IPL as the 22nd most innovative company in the world.

With in 3 years of inception skeletons from IPL cupboards have started tumbling.Now the IT department raids IPL office.Opposition creates ruckus in Parliament over IPL. A sitting minister resigns on charges of involvement in IPL bidding to favour a friend.There are allegations of Sweat equity being alloted unprecedently. Undisclosed partners among IPL franchisees give ample scope for laundering black money as alleged by opposition parties.Modi seems to be not above board.His relatives have been awarded mobile rights.His relatives are franchise partners in some teams.Now it is alleged Modi is involved in Match fixing and betting IPL matches through proxies.Modi has brushed aside these charges as absurd.Even during the last edition of IPL in South Africa former Pak Cricket Captain Javed Miandad said there is a defenite smell of match fixing in the IPL.He even suggested the ICC shold step in and hold IPL under its direct supervision.A suggestion worthy of consideration by ICC and BCCI.ICC has its own protocols and security systems.ICC's Anti corructpion and security Unit (ACSU) head has already warned as early as 2008 that IPL has great potential for betting led corruption.

Rightly or wrongly IPL has earned a brand name for itself and is considered a premier world sporting event.Let not betting,match fixing and corruption take IPL the sharjah way. Sharjah tournaments were stopped because of match fixing allegations. BCCI has to act tough now and put to rest all controversies related to IPL.All bidding processes should be transparent and BCCI should evolve protocols and guidelines to be followed in bidding,player transfers,commercial rights allotment and so on to save the IPL.