Srinivasan denies sending SMS to IPL franchises

New Delhi:

A day after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) barred the Rajasthan Royals and King's XI Punjab from participating in IPL 4,  team owners are now claiming to have received a text message supposedly from BCCI secretary N Srinivasan's mobile number warning them.

The BCCI denies this, alleging "foul play" and has said it is lodging a complaint. Srinivasan says someone has hacked into the system. 

Team owners claimed today that they had received the following text message Srinivasan's phone: "As we have been saying. Please align yourself with us. Or everyone will get the same taste of the medicine we have given today to RR and KXIP. Owners should not think they are above the BCCI. You should be happy we allow you to participate. We know how to clip your wings. President and I have decided we will run the IPL the way we want to and after all its our property. You can either be a part of it or we can find a way for you to get out. We will throw Lalit Modi and anyone attached with him. So best avoid talking to him."

Talking to NDTV, Srinavasan said he had not sent the message. "Somebody has obviously hacked into the system because the service provider has confirmed to me that these messages did not go from me. So obviously someone has hacked, so we are registering a police complaint to find out who has done this. I have not sent any message to any franchise owner," the board secretary said. (Phono: Srinivasan denies sending SMS)

The BCCI issued a formal and categorical denial. In a press release from the Chief Administration Officer Ratnakar S Shetty, the board said, "this is clearly a case of foul play involving Mr Srinivasan and a complaint is being lodged with the mobile phone company and the police for immediate action."

Full text of BCCI denial:

The BCCI has just received information that some messages, allegedly sent from Mr N. Srinivasan's cellphone to the IPL Franchisees, are being circulated and talked about by the media. The Board would like to clarify that no such messages have been sent from his mobile. This is clearly a case of foul play, and complaints to that effect are being lodged with the concerned Mobile phone service, and the Police, for immediate action.
Prof. R.S. Shetty