Ceasefire. That’s the word to describe the situation in the corridors of power in the Board of Control for Cricket in India in Mumbai. At least for the time being.
The warring parties have declared truce even as BCCI president Shashank Manohar termed the reports of ‘conspiracy’ among the BCCI officials as an idea of some ‘fertile brain.’ N Srinivasan and Lalit Modi, the known adversaries, posed for cameras and even embraced each other. The media was made to believe that it’s all hunky dory in the BCCI.
The positions of Srinivasan and Modi are known to be polar opposite on certain matters of the Indian Premier League, particularly on the contentious issue of expansion. But after the IPL Governing Council meeting here on Thursday, all parties looked satisfied even as Modi announced that in IPL IV, the league will be a 10-team affair with 94 matches.
He also declared that the franchisees will be allowed to retain a certain number of players. Modi announced that base price for the two new teams will be $225 million.
The exact number of players who can be retained is not yet finalised but DNA was the first to report that a formula was being worked out to allow the franchisee to keep certain players.
The original suggestion was to allow the teams to retain two Indian and two foreign players. The Srinivasan camp, which has also been insisting on some kind of continuation, must have been happy with the decision.
Meanwhile, the BCCI president declared that Modi will continue to remain the head of the IPL. “He is doing an excellent job as IPL commissioner and chairman. He is appointed by the general body till 2012 and no power in the BCCI can remove him,” Manohar said.
He also denied reports of groupism.“I was shocked because everyday I get news from the media that there is a problem between Modi and Srinivasan...that there is a problem between Modi and myself. Some told me that I’m irritated with Srinivasan and that I have decided to side with Modi and Dalmiya,” Manohar added.
The members of the national selection committee are likely to get a pay-hike.
Currently the senior selectors are entitled for an annual salary of Rs 25 lakh and the junior team slectors get Rs 15 lakh. The working committee of the BCCI is likely to take a call on this on Friday.
