Modi reveals how BCCI scuttled ICL

June 20th, 2011 - 8:41 pm ICT by IANS  

New Delhi, June 20 (IANS) Sacked Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi Monday revealed how the Indian cricket board “scuttled” the Indian Cricket League (ICL) and forced the International Cricket Council (ICC) to change its constitution to wipe out the rebel league.

The ICL, started by Subhash Chandra’s Essel Group, functioned between 2007 and 2009 before folding up.

Modi said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took every possible measure to ensure that ICL was made redundant.

“When I was at BCCI - the mandate given then was to scuttle ICL. BCCI arm-twisted every cricket board and ICC to change their constitution,” Modi tweeted.

“The constitution of every board was changed and ICC made ICL redundant by its act - by making it unauthorized cricket.

“Worldwide anti-competition laws were studied and finally - though against most laws - the ICC changed their constitution to protect its members. ICC used Bird and Bird, a UK-based law firm, to ensure regulations to stop ICL were made consistent globally. The three-member Team worked with them.”

Modi, who admitted being part of these decisions, however, said he had nothing against ICL.

“Yes, we as BCCI called all and sundry to oppose ICL. Cricket associations were told not to give their grounds or fear losing matches,” he wrote.

“Yes, I was part of the BCCI when we scuttled ICL. That was the mandate of the organization. It was not my personal agenda.”

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