Lalit Modi in the line of fire

Lalit Modi with his never say die attitude is battling forsurvival within the murky world of BCCI politics. He is now beingtargeted in N Srinivasan's crosshairs. As reported by sportzpower lastweek, Modi is now going to be targeted this week as a powerful cabalplots his removal from the IPL commissioner's post. The crucialmeeting of the IPL Governing Council on December 17 is going to beused by the board secretary N Srinivasan led cabal to dethrone Modi.
Modi considered a marketing whiz because of architecting innovationslike IPL and T 20 Champions League has been in the doghouse ever sincehis benefactor Sharad Pawar demitted office as board president andmore importantly he is on thin ice since he has lost two elections inRCA. Board politics runs on votes and without a vote Modi will findthe going tough has been emphasised earlier by sportzpower.

As such there is a move within the BCCI to remove Modi as IPL chairmanand commissioner. The argument is that the IPL is a BCCI event andlogically the BCCI president should head it as an ex officio member.The plan is to appoint Shashank Manohar as IPL chairman andCommissioner and take Modi out of the equation. This is aSrinivasan-Manohar masterstroke. "It does not mean that Modi will haveno role at all in the running of the IPL but it is only that he shouldnot be heading the show," an insider pointed out. Top board officialsare unhappy with Modi's clout with franchise owners and othersponsors. In fact, the recent Bangkok offsite even had the franchiseowners planning a welfare body to get more out of the BCCI in anydialogue. N Srinivasan while being BCCI secretary is also a franchiseowner (Chennai Super Kings).
The move has not yet come up for formal discussion in the WorkingCommittee meetings but is being pursued privately to garner support."These things are not discussed in Working Committee meetings whereonly items listed in the agenda are taken up for deliberation. Butyes, behind the scene, it is discussed," the source added on conditionof annoymity.

Attempts to clip Modi's wings began in earnest when the board tried toterminate IMG's contract. Further tournament director DheerajMalhotra, a Modi appointee was packed off. Modi however, smartlymanoeuvred the franchises and fornmer BCCI president Pawar to supportIMG and IMG was reinstated but on new terms and conditions. Seven ofthe franchise owners wrote to the board, but CSK did not. Clearly,Srinivasan has been leading the fight against Modi.
Pawar himself was critical of the decision and it was a letter fromhim that tilted the scale in Modi's favour and BCCI subsequentlyrenegotiated the deal with IMG in which the event management company'sfee was reduced from Rs 33 crore to Rs 27 crore.

Meanwhile as sportzpower reported Modi, aware of the changingmechanics within the BCCI top brass, is learnt to have extended theolive branch to his one time nemesis Jagmohan Dalmiya.