Decision to scrap franchises damaging to IPL: Modi counsel

Mumbai:

Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi's lawyer Mehmood Abdi said on Sunday that the manner in which the Indian Board has decided to terminate the Rajasthan Royals and King XI Punjab XI franchises has damaged the fabric of the cash-rich league.

"The decision to terminate the Jaipur and Mohali franchises does not call for any comment. It is a matter between BCCI/IPL and these franchises which these franchises would need to sort out with BCCI on legal front," Abdi said.

"However the manner in which these issues have been handled by the BCCI shows that the fabric of IPL has been damaged without a thought for the consequences," he said.

"It appears that the decision making of the Board has become hostage to a few men whose actions are detrimental to the league".

Charging the two teams with breach of franchise agreement, the Governing Council of IPL headed by Shashank Manohar, which met on Sunday, scrapped the franchise of the two teams and also served notice on the newly-formed Kochi team to resolve all their disputes within 10 days.

The two scrapped franchisees have been at the centre of corruption allegations involving the former IPL chairman Lalit Modi who was already been suspended by BCCI in July and a committee was set up to investigate bribery allegations in the 2008 awarding of the bids.

Manohar, however, asserted that the decision to scrap the franchisees had nothing to do with Lalit Modi.