Dubai: The Indian Premier League (IPL) controversy's second part has commenced after a short break.
Lalit Modi, the suspended IPL Commissioner, has revealed that the current IPL chief Chirayu Ameen had unsuccessfully bid for the Pune team.
This also led to the revelation that City Corporation Limited, in which International Cricket Council (ICC) president-elect Sharad Pawar and his family have a 16 per cent stake, is also part of the Pune bid.
It is very clear that Ameen, who is also the vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), N. Srinivasan, BCCI secretary and owner of Super Kings Chennai team, and Pawar as well as Modi were all out to make money out of cricket.
Gulf News has received a copy of the letter from Ameen to BCCI President Shashank Manohar stating that a group of businessmen have approached him to participate in a franchise bid under the umbrella of City Corporation and that he has given his consent to invest up to 10 per cent.
The interesting factor is Pawar's statement that City Corporation Managing Director Anirudh Deshpande had bid in his personal capacity. If that is true, who paid to buy the bid document and if he has used the company money, has he returned the money to the company after he failed in his bid?
It is also important to find out whether Deshpande had stated that he is bidding in his personal capacity. The minutes of the City Corporation board meeting, which is in possession of some Indian newspapers now, reveals that Desphande was clearly authorised to bid for the Pune IPL team.
Frantic efforts are now on to prove that Pawar was unaware of the bid and that too when he is the kingmaker of Indian cricket. Had the controversy not broken out and had Pune won the bid, everyone would have made money out of the game. It is clear that those who say they were not aware of the bid would have laughed all the way to their banks.
The second part of the IPL controversy may expose many more murky dealings. It shows that the BCCI has been turned into a den of money lenders, politicians and businessmen. None of these people have the interests of the game in their heart except for filling their pockets.
