BCCI plans move to counter auction allegations

The stand-off between suspended IPL chairman Lalit Modi and the BCCI has intensified with the board preparing to file charges against Modi in the run-up to its next annual general election. The BCCI's action is expected to reduce the heat on its secretary N Srinivasan, who this week has faced allegations, which he has denied, of intervention in the second IPL auction in January 2009.

The move to file charges in a Chennai court against Modi - confirmed to Cricinfo by an official - is a continuation of decisions taken at a special general meeting of the board in June this year at which it was decided to institute a disciplinary committee and begin action against Modi. "It has taken us this long because the secretary had to prepare the papers and the complaint was to be vetted by our legal experts," the official said.

Working against Modi was the pressure on the BCCI by the various agencies investigating the financial irregularities in the IPL's business deals, particularly the controversial 'facilitation fee' deal between MSM and WSG and franchise ownership patterns. "The agencies said to us that if you don't put up a complaint against him, there can be no impact of our work", the official said.

Insiders believe the move is also a means by which the BCCI can isolate Modi from its ranks in the only designation he still holds in name as the IPL chairman with a five-year term, even though in a suspended state. The matter could be discussed on Saturday when the BCCI's final working committee meeting before its September Annual General Meeting takes place in Mumbai.

The allegations against Srinivasan, which have gained momentum in the Indian media over the past few days, revolves round the plan by Chennai Super Kings to secure the services of Andrew Flintoff at the IPL's 2009 auction. Srinivasan is head of India Cements, the company that owns Chennai Super Kings.

A set of e-mails between Modi and Srinivasan - written around the time of the auction, and which Cricinfo has accessed - suggests that they communicated over Flintoff's availability; he was eventually bought by Chennai, who bid higher than Rajasthan Royals.

"What a nightmare to convince them not to terminate [Sohail] Tanveer and also not to take Flintoff," reads one email, from Modi to Srinivasan. "[Shane] Warne [the Rajasthan captain] went off the handle. But have managed it by using stick and carrot strategy." In response, a mail from Srinivasan thanks Modi.

For his part, Modi told Cricinfo via e-mail on Thursday that Srinivasan and, through him, Chennai, "pressurised the [IPL] operating team" to get the Flintoff auction to work in the franchise's favour. Other than Chennai, only two other teams had bid for Flintoff, with Kings XI Punjab first standing down and Rajasthan losing out with a bid of US$1.5m as against Chennai's $1.55m.

Asked whether there were many similar cases to Flintoff's, Modi replied, "Yes to my knowledge". He refused to go into detail, saying, "Flintoff's was the only case at that auction."

Srinivasan denied the allegations of collusion,. "I am a sportsman myself, a golfer, and I believe in playing fair. Why would I ever resort to such means?" he told Mumbai Mirror. "I had the money and could have gone up to US$ 2 million to outbid them. Let's get one thing clear -- it was the franchisee with the bigger purse that won the bid. I never asked for anyone's favour to acquire Flintoff."

The BCCI president, Shashank Manohar, also backed Srinivasan. "I can produce papers which prove that the charges levelled by Mr Modi against Mr Srinivasan are blatant lies," Manohar said.

A Rajasthan spokesman denied allegations of having been part of the alleged fix, saying their participation in all IPL auctions "have been entirely transparent at all times" and refused to comment further on "any insinuations."