If it is Indian cricket, there is no dearth of controversies. The latest of course is the fight between the two power centres in the board, N Srinivasan and Lalit Modi, and a casualty of that fight has been IMG or International Management Group, which came up with the model of IPL and has been organising it for the last two years.
Their contract has been terminated because the board secretary believes that the IMG's services are expensive. Now the IPL or rather its team owners have hit back saying you can't take these decisions without consulting the stakeholders. The Franchisees are expected to discuss the issue in their Governing Council meeting on September 2.
Apparently, the BCCI is not happy with the IPL profits. The Indian board complained that their profits from the second season of the IPL went southwards.
The Indian Cricket Board was also not pleased with the IPL after tournament Commissioner Lalit Modi decided to compensate $5 million or twenty crore rupees to each of the two franchises - Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings - for the cancellation of Champions league T20, last year. Controversially one of the beneficiaries is N Srinivasan who owns Chennai Super Kings.
Srinivasan has other issues as well. He, reportedly, was unhappy with Delhi making it to the Champions League T20 this year.
Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Daredevils, both played the IPL semi-finals but Delhi qualified for the Champions League T20 for having been IPL league topper. So the IPL will have 3rd and 4th place play-off from next year.
And the latest of course is termination of IMG's contract by the board secretary. In a letter to the Senior Vice-President of IMG he said: " The Working committee of the board thought that the amount which was asked by the IMG was disproportionate to the services rendered. You were required to give a fresh quotation before the Working Committee meeting but since you failed, please note that the BCCI has taken a decision not to use IMG's services any more for the Indian Premier League Tournament."
This means that IPL 3 has to look for a new partner for organising the event.
One would imagine that the IPL being the 6th most valuable sports property in the world would the golden goose for India but the success of it is clearly making some officials insecure. The infighting between the officials at the moment may just be a fodder for the media but these men form the bricks of a building called the BCCI, which is the power centre of world cricket.
However, if the cement between them isn't strong enough, it is sure to rock what till now looks like a strong foundation.
Is there a rift brewing between BCCI and IPL?
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