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IPL: A Sea Of Storms For Kochi, Kings XI and Rajasthan Royals
Image by kdewhunter via Flickr
The route to IPL4 has never seemed as foggy as it is today.
And there seems to be no one sounding the fog horn either!
The three vessels SS Kings XI Punjab, SS Rajasthan Royals and SS Kochi are stranded in the stormy seas seeking a lighthouse to guide them to safety.
But their distress signals , their SOSs, have received little response from the current keepers of the beacon.
The IPL seas are still uncharted waters and the reefs are mapped as they are traversed.
Three voyages in three seasons and it was Heigh Ho! Life’s a bottle of rum!
Life’s not so rummy any more for the voyagers.
Nor quite so profitable!
The treasure hunt continues!
IPL: The octopus spreads its tentacles to South Africa, Kochi and Lalit Modi in troubled waters
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Cricket South Africa (CSA) reminded us that the tentacles of the IPL mess are not restricted to just Indian and English shores.
CSA have terminated an external investigation into the bonuses paid by Lalit Modi to CSA chief executive Gerald Majola and 40 other staff during the IPL’s second season.
The IPL was moved to South Africa in 2009 following the Indian government’s refusal to provide adequate security for the event because of the clash with the general election. The security apparatus of the state could not be stretched to meet both concerns.
A payment of 4.7 million rands was made to Majola and his associates.
The South African opposition has slammed the switch to an internal investigation as ‘disappointing’.
The Enforcement Directorate(ED) is known to be investigating the payment back in India as apparently there was no tax paid on the foreign exchange transfers.
IPL: Kochi still up in the air, Shilpa Shetty lets fly at the BCCI
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I must admit that the IPL going-ons have all the makings of a soap opera.
It has all the ingredients – money, glamour and sex appeal (courtesy the Bollywood biggies), a decamping honcho, exotic locations, politics and more twists and turns than a pot-boiler.
Add much needed melodrama and you have a hit formula.
A few bytes on the continuing saga:
IPL: Iceland , diplomatic immunity , Kochi , signature campaigns and a Warneing
Image by duncan via Flickr
Kochi meets the deadline?
There have been conflicting reports in the Indian press and media about the proposal submitted by the Kochi consortium to the BCCI.
The Times Of India (TOI) reports that the Kochi franchisee have requested an additional ten days to come up with a resolution of the ongoing dispute among the consortium members.
IPL’s Icelandic Connection: Lalit Modi plans a move?
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Lalit Modi intrigues us more and more.
It has been reported that the former IPL czar may be seeking residency in Iceland.
His wife, Minal is reported to be on first name terms with the Icelandic first lady, Dorrit Moussaieff.
Modi – since his exit from the country purportedly fearing for his safety – seems to be having a whale of a time.
IPL Road: Kochi dilly-dallies, Modi prevaricates
It has been ominously quiet on the IPL front over the past few days.
Except for news reports that the Enforcement Directorate is studying the BCCI filed FIR against the abrasive Lalit Modi, to fructify their case against his willingness (or unwillingness) to respond to their inquiries. There has been little to report in the Indian press or media.
Lalit Modi and his lawyer claim that they have yet to receive a copy of the FIR filed by the BCCI; this is, of course, a classic delaying tactic to fob off the media until they have studied the ramifications and can respond to the allegations in a coherent manner.
The jurisdiction of the Chennai police has been questioned by Modi and his lawyer.
The ED has issued a Look Out notice that will have Mr. Modi detained at all Indian ports if he attempts to enter the country; the IPL ex-honcho shows no inclination to oblige the authorities, preferring to remain in London with token noises about answering any queries via video conference.
Meanwhile, there still seems no resolution to the dispute within the Kochi consortium with the warring parties unable to come to any sort of arrangement as yet.
Rendezvous, who hold the major chunk of sweat equity are at loggerheads with the other co-owners, namely Anchor Earth, Parinee Developers, Anand Shyam Estates and Vivek Venugopal. Only Filmwave Combines are fine with letting Rendezvous continue in the Kochi consortium with management control.
Rendezvous are willing to buy their sweat equity as long as they retain a say in management matters but doubts are expressed by their partners about the source of their funding and whether the infusion of funds would pass muster with the IT department and ED.
Shashi Tharoor has not been consulted this time around; it is considered best to keep the politician at bay while discussing business matters.
The clock is ticking for the Kochi franchisee and the BCCI must be hoping for a quick resolution, or else it will be a case of even more mud-slinging in the media.
Sunanda Pushkar, now Tharoor’s spouse, has relinquished her stake and is thus no longer a factor in the mediation.
Is this the lull before the storm? Or is it the eye of the storm?
The road to IPL 4 has never seemed more bumpy or more full of obstacles and potholes. Will road rage win the day?
Note: This is an updated version of the earlier article.
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The BCCI Institute: Continuous Education (Satire)
In the wake of events that have transpired recently namely the Pak match-fixing scandal and the IPL mess, the BCCI (on advisement from the ICC) has decided to combat the malaise on a war-footing.
In addition to Anil Kumble mentoring the current Indian team, outside consultants are being invited to deliver seminars that will address the ills that plague Indian cricket.
These seminars are to be held under the auspices of the newly formed BCCI Institute whose mission is to provide and foster the continuous growth and education of its stakeholders.
The IPL Mess: BCCI twists and turns its way out!
The twists and turns in the sordid IPL drama get hairier, by the day!
BCCI’s Srinivasan has filed an FIR in Chennai against Lalit Modi accusing him of defrauding the BCCI to the tune of Rs. 470 crores.
Readers might be aware that Mr. Lalit Modi is currently in London and refuses to return to India fearing for his life.
His weapon of choice against any and all charges is his Twitter account. Talk about social media pressure!
IPL scenarios under the scanner: Interesting possibilities!
With the IPL imbroglio boiling over and culminating in the expulsion of two teams, Kings XI and Rajasthan Royals, let’s take a quick look at the scenarios that could unfold:
1> The two franchise owners could go to court thus staying the auction of players in Jan 2011. This could have the effect of jeopardising or at the least delaying IPL 4 with two possibilities arising: one that the teams are reinstated and thus IPL 4 goes on as scheduled , with some last-minute patch-ups and glitches.
The other is that the BCCI move is upheld and Raj Kundra and Preity Zinta sustain losses on their investments. The fans of Rajasthan Royals and Punjab XI are left feeling disgruntled and the other franchisee owners are left holding their queasy tummies in the sickening realization that the BCCI is a law unto itself and business motivations can take a backseat.
The IPL Witch-Hunt: BCCI knocks out Kings XI and Royals
The IPL witch-hunt is truly on!
The scrapping of two franchises Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals, the 2008 champions, has been swift and clinical.
The BCCI terminated their contracts making it clear that irregularities were not to be tolerated any more. If this signals a move to a more professional setup, the move is welcome.
But if it is seen as another move to further isolate Modi and his supporters, it will be just another instance of intense politicking and jockeying for power in the richest sports body in the country.
The Kochi franchise lives on – for now. It has a ten-day reprieve. And with the reduction in the number of franchises, the Pune and Kerala-based franchises may be profitable sooner than later.
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