IPL imbroglio: Modi seeks more time; BCCI promptly agrees
11 May 2010
The Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) has agreed to grant a five-day extension of the deadline requested by Lalit Modi, the suspended IPL chairman and commissioner, to file his replies to the board's chargesheet. Modi was expected to appear at the BCCI headquarters on Monday to respond in person to the charges, as the 15-day deadline that was initially agreed upon expires today.
Modi has tossed the ball back into the BCCI court by seeking a pile of documents to firm up his answers to the charges slapped on him. He has asked for a five-day extension, and board president Shashank Manohar has been quick to accede to his request.
Ratnakar Shetty, the BCCI's chief administrative officer, confirmed Modi's request: "Lalit Modi has requested the board president Shashank Manohar and secretary N Srinivasan to extend time (for his reply). He was supposed to reply to the show cause notice today. The board has taken a decision to extend time up to 15 May."
According to Shetty, Modi sought the extension because he wanted some more documents from the board that would help in preparing his defence. Modi was suspended by BCCI on 26 April. Almost immediately after the conclusion of the Indian Premier League final, the BCCI sent him a show cause notice asking him to reply to a slew of charges relating to the conduct of the high-profile IPL.
Modi, in an e-mail to the BCCI on Sunday, questioned the board basing the charges on unsubstantiated allegations, complaints and innuendos, like the Kochi agreement being signed only after a directive from Modi himself, some of the deals being finalised without the knowledge of the IPL governing council, and his holding proxy stakes in three IPL franchisees.
He also referred to a broad-spectrum charge that the BCCI chief has been receiving messages and requests from senior office-bearers, highly reputed public figures and renowned players expressing their anguish over the loss of image of the board and the game. His personal lifestyle has also been questioned.