Modi slams BCCI president for Sahara's walkout

India Gazette (IANS) Saturday 4th February, 2012

Suspended Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi slammed N. Srinivasan, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president, for Sahara India's decision to end its sponsorship deal and also to pull out from the Pune franchise of the lucrative Twenty20 league.

Modi, whose brainchild was the IPL, termed Sahara's decision as a black day in Indian sports.

"Sahara termination - shows how unhappy the major sponsor and franchise owner is with the way BCCI deals with its partners. This is really a sad day. Sahara has been sports biggest supporter and pillar," Modi tweeted on social networking site Twitter.

"Its a black day for Indian Cricket. All due to One ego maniac. Wonder how we allow that to continue. It will ruin cricket completely," read another tweet.

"All I can say is that whenever sports was in trouble - we could always count on Sahara being there. They were one solid company one could always bank on coming thru," he added.

"When another Team owner, is a state association President, BCCI President and just showed that he controls ICC thru his clout. And does things only in favour of himself. This was bound to happen."

Criticising Srinivasan's style of functioning, Modi said the BCCI president should go.

"Bcci President needs to go. He has no concept of taking people along. The Fans, Players, Sponsors, Franchisee owners, are the people who make us what we are. And they need to be listened too. Not shunned away," he added.

"Bcci has made all posts redundant in bcci and want to do the same in icc. They want only one door to be opened for cricket. That door has a Plate on it N Srinivasan. Owner Csk, President TNCA, President BCCI, controller ICC," he added.

Sahara India Saturday pulled the plug off its multi-million-dollar team sponsorship with the BCCI and also walked out of its IPL franchise Pune Warriors, claiming they have been denied natural justice yet again.

Sahara's decision came hours before the IPL 2012 auction in Bangalore and there was no one from Pune Warriors team bidding.