Some sparks at last…!

The world cup has been as damp and dull as the monsoon till now with only Germany Vs. Australia match having some goals. Argentina showed some signs but could not give the finishing touches. Chile Vs. Honduras game was also the same. This was the story when the first round of the group stages got over and this world cup was going to be the dullest after the 1990 edition.
But finally there has been a thrilling performance. Argentina has just broadcasted a warning to others here that they are pumped to go all the way. 2 small ‘Ms’ are threatening to make the world cup their own. Maradona and Messi are here to win! They just thrashed South Korea 4-1, the one goal which was due to a defensive lapse being the only blemish in otherwise a sparkling performance.

Messi was just too fast and was a class above as he proved too hot to handle for the Koreans. Gonzalo Higuain of all people got a hatrick . 2 of the goals were set up by a fiery Messi who was just getting past the Koreans as if they weren't there. After all that Messi didn't get a goal! He even struck the post which rebounded for Higuain to complete his hatrick which  ironically happened in this edition and is the first after 2002!
Maradona through Messi’s football had an answer to the ‘Taekwondo’ the Koreans played in 86’ !  ;)
In another fast and interesting match, Greece created history by winning their first match in the World Cup finals which comes as some sort of relief for the bankrupt nation!
I dearly hope this trend carries on and Brazil, Germany, Holland and Spain bring their best onto the field as well…What I also hope is the second round not getting fixtures like Spain Vs. Brazil! Sorry underdogs[!] , I just want to see some good football. If you guys can play fast instead of defensive, searching for a point it just isn’t the way…
Later…

‘Asia Cup’ is underway…

For me, this tournament is a joke! When the Asian Games is being boycotted by the BCCI, what is the relevance of a 4 nation tournament in ‘Asia’ and how on earth can it be called an Asia Cup?! It wont even be a ‘SAARC’ cup! The best it can be called is a ‘Quadrangular’! But anyways, its underway and the first match was between Pakistan and the defending champions and hosts, Sri Lanka.

Pakistan has been more entertaining in their administrative affairs than in their cricket! Even the novices act like superstars and no one is ready to follow another! Afridi, their captain is a prime example of ‘I am-the-king-of-the-world’ attitude. Sri Lanka has a similar counterpart in Sangakkara. His ‘I –swear- I- am -a-British’ accent along with some statements make him a competitor for Afridi.

Sri Lanka huffed and puffed to their total of just over 200. Pakistan as usual chased it dramatically. People wondering about who is writing these scripts should not be surprised if it turns out that the script writer is some bookie sitting at a pub! After the loss of 4 wickets Afridi stunningly, after the last Ice Age, for the first time struck form with the bat! He smacked 109 of just 75 balls WITH 7 SIXES! But the real twist was yet to come as after his dismissal Sri Lanka with the help of Malinga won the game by 18 runs! After the match many doubted whether it was newbie Md. Amer who wrote the script. But ICC has rejected saying it that he was just adjusting his helmet grill and not talking on a cell phone in the dressing room!

Ohh… and I almost forgot! India beat the Tigers, the Fighters, the Shers the Champions- Bangladesh, too in what was a gripping encounter which went so much to the wire that many of the spectators [including and dominated by crows] fainted of a shock from the wire!

ICC, please get rid of these farce ‘tournaments’!

Later…

Like Monsoon the Football is also getting damper…

  This edition of ‘the World Cup’ was and is being given added gloss and more and more coverage. This edition is said to be special as it is being held in the continent which is the poorest in the world and where the racial discrimination is largest. So because of all that this is said to be special as it would or it tries to break all the shackles and present the real Africa to the world!

I agree everything is special! But the question that again and again pings me is about the actual football on the pitch. Is that special? I certainly don't think so. At least after a round of the group matches are done with. Its not that only goals are lacking. The average goals per game is less than 2 when in the last 3 world cups it was nearly 3 at this stage. There are factors as well. Main focus, after of course the ‘Vuvuzelas’ is the ball - ‘Jabulani’. Poor thing is facing a lot of flak from players and coaches alike. Only the South African coach, Alberto Pereira, seems to like it. Casillas says its ‘rotten’ while Buffon thinks its unpredictable. Its clear the players are struggling with it for their radar, as the free kicks are going high over the ball. Adidas maintains that the ball is for accuracy!

The next concern for many is that there are less Africans even though  the tournament is being held in Africa! Many say there are not many Africans watching on the stands. They say that sale of tickets only online has made it very difficult for average Africans who are not connected to internet quite often, in getting tickets. This added with the fact that there are many empty seats for lesser matches has got FIFA in a spot as they had proudly said that the rickets are sold out and there wont be any complimentary tickets like last time as they want Africans to come in. FIFA maintains that the tickets were sold but its the holders that are not making it to the stadium! Vuvuzelas make a lot of noise even though the crowd is less. But at times it is irritating boring and frustrating to say the least.

FIFA is facing the fact that it is very different from Europe or South America were every country has football as primary sport and people have the passion to travel easily from one country to another to watch football and it is much easier to do so as well, especially in Europe where, countries are at driving distances. But in Africa the financial and political conditions in many countries is not suitable for that.

Today there has been news of FIFAs organizing committee acting like an autocrat and not paying the security stewards their share. So they are on strike and this adds to the growing blemish on the tournament. But the South African police have stepped up and they are providing security as a ‘temporary arrangement’ according to an official.

Coming back to the ‘football’, goals are far and few as there has been only one entertaining performance- that by Germany, even though Argentina Vs. Nigeria and Chile Vs. Honduras were with a bit of flair as well. But overall it has been disappointing. Considering the talent that is on display- Messi, Kaka Ronaldo Torres etc etc, much was and is still expected of the Finals. All we can do is hope that the tournament improves. The fact that Brazil took 55 minutes to score against DPR Korea was a surprise and disappointment for me. May be ‘Jabulani’ is the cause. May be its just the teams playing defensive. Speculations are also there about the higher than sea level grounds taking literally the breath away from the players. Italians also were complaining about the bounce that the surface has and the skidding which also adds to the difficulty in controlling the ball. Even though no ‘classic’ has been played yet, there have been a few ‘upsets’. Biggest being the Swiss getting the better of much vaunted Spanish Armada!

There are also a few positives for the country as well, with the addition of a 300,000 jobs and the revenue addition.

  So far the entertainment has been from outside the pitch with the Vuvuzelas , ‘Jabulani’ and of course Maradona vs Pele battle! Lets hope something burns up the pitch as well…

 

Later…and Thanks…

It’s Monsoon! But not quite raining goals…

Its been rain all the time all over and its quite heavy. The carnival in South Africa is not quite the same. As the first round matches are going on, the goals are far and few in between. But the last 2 matches are providing hope. Germans thrashed the hapless Aussies 4 to blob while the Dutch from whom I expected goals even in the absence of Robben, did not disappoint as they beat Denmark 2 to nothing even though it had an own goal in it.

Argentina had their entry yesterday and it was electric at the start and I was hoping and thinking about how many will go in. But Messi’s sparks where equally put to death by the fantastic goal keeper’. I particularly liked one corner kick worked out quite in the Argentinean style and almost got Messi his first! But I have to wait for that.

The ‘champions of the hype’ , England had another chance for a ‘controversy’ as their goal keeper was in a mess blocking a shot from Clint Dempsy! USA held the British 1-1! Rooney, again hyped to space was not that good when it came to some real action!

As I said the Germans and the Dutch have started putting some goals in and hopefully Brazil can start as well. I like everything about all the African teams and Africa being a host, except for they play very defensive and not quite riveting football.

I am really hoping for some flair…

Later…

Cricket and Football...

Hello people,

I was just thinking of the spread of football and the passion it generates in the millions of audience in the world. It has the ‘real’ World Cup with 200+ members and 32 playing in the Finals. Its projected as the ‘beautiful game’ and indeed many millions are attracted to the ‘beauty’! Its undoubtedly the number 1 sport in the world and not even the Olympics generate much interest. Yes the Olympics has much more participation with 200+ delegations at one place. But the fact that Olympics is a combined even with lot of sports together and the fact that all 200+ nations do not participate in all the events gives football a clear edge.

Guess what the number 2 sport in terms of followers is! Cricket! But its World Cup doesn't generate half as much interest and not in this enormity. There are a small number of countries that are playing it and even smaller are really good at it. Shabby administration also doesn’t help. In fact I just wanted to say what the ICC would do well to learn from FIFA or UEFA.
Cricket, now a days is seen as a ‘brand’! This is the most disgusting fact for me. The overwhelming popularity of football is largely due to the fact that its looked upon as a simple game even though large proportions of money are involved. The 2nd line says about its catch line and it says about its simplicity too. ‘The Beautiful Game’ and not the beautiful ‘brand’!
ICC is confused about the popularity and in fact the game itself. They are, in a bid to ‘sell’ the game[which is insane] are trying to modify it and make it saleable! FIFA doesn’t involve in any of that insanity. They are just happy to keep it simple and change the game according to its sporting needs and the changes are not based on the money factor of it. Money and the game is kept separate. ICC in fact has gone to such an extent that it isn’t the same game as before and some more changes would spell doomsday for the ‘Gentleman's Game’. In a bid to attract more people it is in turn projecting cricket as more and more un saleable and boring!

ICC should try to keep it simple. As the suggestions to change the game are rife, you can get an opinion to completely turn around the fortunes from every nook and corner of the subcontinent. Coming to the sub-continent, I get a fine example of why FIFA is not interested in market part while ICC is! ICC never wants to think beyond the sub continent. FIFA never even have thought about China and India as markets which have the highest population in the world. They just want to spread the game in the correct way and not hurry the proceedings with gimmicks as the ICC does.
ICC most importantly has almost no control over its members and is lacking backbone! FIFA on the other hand takes stern stands and strictly imposes the rules. A glaring example was recent France vs. Ireland controversy. ICC’s similar experience is the India vs. Australia test series where an umpire was so easily changed!

IPL is supposed to turn it around for cricket. But what is it actually? Its the grave attempt to turn cricket to football, which would never work. One of the most important aspects comes up here. How many cricket matches are significant? Is it undergoing an overkill? FIFA never organizes any unnecessary or meaningless games! ICC does that so often that most of the spectators now are fed up and confused over what is going on and where! The ICCs lack of authority or planning is clear from the simple fact that some players play for at least 4 teams in the world! The supporters have no idea who will turn up where!
To add to the overkill point, we have had 3 T20 ‘World Cups’ in 3 years! Its nothing but ridiculous! FIFA has single digit tournaments and they are kept so far apart that the spectators are longing for the event when it arrives. ICC lacks commonsense in the scheduling of events. Sri Lanka for example has not played in South Africa for over 8 years! But they have played India almost a 50 times in last 2 years!

ICC is no mood to spread the game or it is confused and insecure about the way of doing it. It is constantly in search of ‘markets’ and not, importantly, of a level playing field and a simple game. It organized the T20 ‘World Cup’[calling thus is a joke] in West Indies in a bid to get the ‘attractive US market’! Horribly it kept matches starting at 9.30 in the morning when every one would be hurrying for their offices! ICC wanted to have its share of the subcontinent market which it was not willing to let go. That’s why I feel its insecure and lacks courage. The audience stayed away from the stands and who would like to watch a match which does not have noise?! In contrast FIFA gives free entry to the host nation to compete and thus it wont be such a case that you wont be a part of the celebration that is happening at your house!

In a bid to spread the game ICC is ‘showering’ ‘funds’ for every associate nation as they are called. But how many matches do these associate nations play? Instead of giving them a chance ICC is happy seeing India play Sri Lanka for umpteen times a week! Another glaring example of ICCs shabby administration is its rule which makes it easier for he players from the associate nations to play for a test playing country, but not as easy for the second string of the test playing country to play for the associates. Irish players are turning up in England colours the next day after playing a match or 2 for Ireland. But England and New Zealand discards, Ed Joyce and Hamish Marshal are made to wait 4 years to turn for a nation which would strengthen enormously by their inclusion. This will help the team to win a match or two against better teams or at least teams like Bangladesh. This would attract its audience. Now, no one likes to follow a no chance team in every tournament.

Asian games is an excellent platform for ICC to extend its reach. But ICC is taking no action against BCCI who doesn't want to send its team as they are busy playing New Zealand in a series. The schedule for the games was known 2 years ago. So why did the ICC not schedule accordingly. It was busy enjoying its T20 revival in 2007! But Allan Stanford has been busted and Lalit Modi is on the verge of it. Now ICC can do nothing in terms of scheduling. This shows how short sighted the ICC is and how greedy the administrators are!

I have no suggestions as such to state as I am no ICC CEO and so it will be of no use. But I would like to see the game which I follow curiously, grow. So I wish ICC retreats from some stupid changes that it is planning and take some notice of the associate nations instead of increasing the number of insignificant matches which takes out the significance of the important matches as well. If it doesn’t it will lose the sub continent as well, which is starting to lose its patience. Zimbabwe series was a good example for that.
As for now, enjoy the ‘Beautiful Game’ for the month!


Thanks and Later…

The beautiful game is here...

Hello people,

Well, the wait is almost over and the the ‘real’ World Cup is here. 32 nations will compete for the Jules Rimet trophy, better known as the foot ball world cup! I had written earlier that my cable operator was in a deep slumber. Guess what! He is awake and has I guess paid a stop gap measure fee to avail the services from ESPN-STAR!

I am happy and so will be a lot of others for to be able to watch the stars battle it out. That is a bit of a positive I am desperately looking for, in this dull and persistent monsoon rain. The rains this time are on time and are qualitatively normal. That’s good for the farmers around. But I am sure they will find some other reason for their laziness and then ask for the compensation for poor yield. I am talking like a frustrated economist!

Let me come back to cricket now. The tri-series I guess is still not finished and there is a small matter of a final between Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. Even though I have lost interest, whatever little I had, after India lost out, the Zimbabweans are really excited, apparently! They are into a multi-nation tournament final after 7 years and some of them are demanding a half day holiday from work as they got when Brazil played Zimbabwe recently.

There was also Bangladesh playing in England and the matter was by how much. The victory margin for England that is. Tamim Iqbal shone and Shakib had some good moments in yet another disappointment for the Bangladeshis. ICC, in my opinion should really be reconsidering the decision to continue with Bangladesh in tests, at least in the mainstream. They should somehow get the 2-tier structure in place so that some of the lesser nations can be accommodated as well. Instead they are simply trying to mock football and convert cricket to football which is insane and could be disastrous.

Back to the beautiful game to end. My pick is, as always, Brazil!  Dark horses are Argentina and Holland. Spain is also strong and are expected to be in the final.

Rain Rain go away… come again another day!

Later and Thanks!

The Asia Cup...

Hello people,

Asia Cup starts on June 15th. What was the necessity of playing the tri nation in Zimbabwe. It could easily have been an A team competition.
This is where Football gets the better of cricket. They don't organize unnecessary matches like these. An Asia cup after a good gap of a month after the T20 rubbish would have just refreshed the spectators who are already cooked after  a long IPL and another boring T20 world cup, which probably no one noticed!
Cricket administration needs to look into this matter very carefully and intently instead of going after stupid ideas like night tests and pink balls! The reduction in number of games can easily get the public back into the stadiums. The numbers are dwindling outside the subcontinent and even the sub continent wont bear this unbearable diet. People have already started to get sick of insignificant cricket and that includes hardcore fans too, like me and many of my friends. Its getting impossible to keep track of what is happening and why! You see players playing for 3-4 teams and playing all kinds of formats!
I don't think any one will be able to comprehend or explain, what for, the ongoing tri nations is being held. No one knows if its an annual event, or even a periodic event. Thank God, the ODIs between India and Australia are reduced an instead 2 tests are being played. But is that the Border-Gavaskar trophy? If yes, then what about the 4 tests played a year ago? Any ways the 7 match ODI series getting scrapped is a good initiative.  But who knows, it could be the new policy of cutting down ODIs and increasing T20s.
Recently I came about to read about Sri Lanka not playing a test in South Africa, since 2002! That is almost a generation not playing cricket in SA! Sri Lanka has been as high as number 3 in tests rankings. But how can they be if they have played no matches in South Africa?
2011 in India: 2011 Cricket World CupThe ICC is looking to get its schedule right, after the WC 2011. I am hoping for some sanity instead of gimmicks like pink balls and super subs!

Thanks!

Long Wait...

Hello people,

Its been a while since I have been to my[this] blog. I was just not motivated to write and its 'Monsoon' and that is why it was not active. Even now, I am feeling a bit dull and not really in a mood to write. In fact I find noting important or significant to write about. Well, it may be just that I am a bad writer!
The football world cup is due in 2-3 days and the sad part is my cable operator doesn’t think it is very important. They have not paid their dues to ESPN-STAR who is the broadcaster at my place and ES decided to block the supply. The subscribers like me are suffering. Internet might be a good option, but then the clarity is what I am concerned about.
I just dragged myself up to here and don't feel like writing more. The IPL ‘saga’[if I may call it] is carrying on with the muck being thrown on each other like its “HOLI”!
My interest in cricket is dying down because of these frauds and insignificant matches! I mean, right after a “world cup” [which is ‘not’ in any sense of  imagination] India, Sri Lanka go directly to Zimbabwe to play YET another ODI tournament! Just a week after the T20 thing which also started just a week after the IPL!
I am just looking for some positive vibes, as outside its the ‘monsoon’ which is getting stronger and all around its dark and dull!
Later then……

Thanks!

Modi Suspended!

Hello people,


BCCI has suspended Lalit Modi pending investigations with effect from April 26th, and has given him time to explain his position. He has been given 15 days to explain all the allegations against him.
The charges against Modi were,

• The alleged misappropriation of bidding document
• The alleged receipt of facilitation fee for illegal transfer of media rights.
• The alleged use of slush money which flows in from various tax haven
• The alleged behavioral problems
• The alleged scam on the ownership issue of Rajasthan royals and Kings 11 Punjab

Modi's three-year reign was effectively ended moments after the conclusion of the tournament final in Mumbai on Sunday and he responded in melodramatic fashion with an emotional speech at the awards ceremony.
The suspension notice was served on him by Rajeev Shukla, a BCCI vice-president, at the conclusion of Sunday's game, with N Srinivasan, the board secretary, sending an email to the same effect. It followed a day of negotiations with interlocutors attempting to persuade Modi to resign.
The public confirmation of his suspension came in a statement from BCCI president Shashank Manohar issued shortly after the end of Sunday's final. "Alleged acts of individual misdemeanours of Mr Lalit K Modi, chairman IPL and vice president BCCI, have brought a bad name to the administration of cricket and the game itself," it said.
"I have waited for IPL 2010 to conclude in order to respond to the situation as I did not want the event to be disrupted in any manner. Immediately after the conclusion of the IPL final, the secretary, BCCI Mr N Srinivasan has in consultation with me issued a show cause notice to Mr. Lalit K Modi under Rule 32 (iv) calling upon him to show cause within 15 days why disciplinary action should not be taken against him. Simultaneously, in exercise of the powers vested in me under Rule 32 (vii), I have suspended Mr. Lalit K Modi from participating in the affairs of the Board, the IPL, the working committee and any other committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India."
Modi had apparently received that notice by the time he went up to the podium for the post-match presentations, and it prompted an emotional, lengthy speech. "We have had some off field unpleasant dramas only based on innuendo, half truths and motivated leaks from all kinds of sources," he said. "I assure you all decisions have been taken jointly by the governing council and approved by the general body... Still, as the leader of the team, if there is any flouting of rules or any other financial irregularity, I will take full responsibility."
 Shashank Manohar said that Chirayu Amin, MD of a pharmaceutical company and the low profile president of Baroda Cricket association will be the interim commissioner of IPL. MAK Pataudi, Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri formed a committee which will hold talks with the franchisee owners on retaining of players next year. The current proposal is 3 foreign and 4 Indian players will be retained.

Modi has tweeted in response, that he is the IPL chairman and has been only suspended and he will go the legal way. Lalit Modis twitter

 Thanks!

All about Lalit Modi.

Hello people,

This is a long post ad please bear with me.

Here am I as promised. It’s ‘All about Lalit Modi’. Well at least as much as I know, as the man seems to be really murky.
Lalit Modi comes from a business background - he is the scion of Modi Enterprises, a $1.5 billion group of companies, and sits on the board of Godfrey Philips, one of India's more successful tobacco companies.

He joined the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association in 1999 (when it had no cricket stadiums) after promising to build a cricket stadium that would be used to play cricket in the Indian summer. In 2000, he started raising concerns with the way things were run in Himachal, and was booted out when Mr. Dhumbar became the Chief Minister of HP and installed his son as the President of the HP Cricket Association.Lalit Modi first came into cricket administration as a president of the district cricket association of Nagaur in Rajasthan. In fact from there start the allegations as well. The first allegation against Modi is that he impersonated one Lalit Kumar who was the actual president of the association. But the question of how he succeeded in hiding one man is a mystery. The court is pending in court. Kishore Rungta the former Rajastan cricket association president says Modi came to him introducing himself as Lalit Kumar. But only later did he find that it was a fraud. 

here is a link http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/03/07/1204780070687.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2


where the author Matt Wade says in 'The Age'

But there is also a hint of revenge in his motivation to get to the top of the Indian cricket establishment. More than a decade ago, Modi tried to launch an officially sanctioned professional cricket league, only to be thwarted by what he describes as "vested interests" in Indian cricket.

"We were burnt very badly by the powers that were," he said. "It became an ambition of mine to go out and clean it up."

It took Modi 10 years to break into the crusty world of Indian cricket administration. He finally succeeded by concealing his true identity to join the Rajasthan Cricket Association. He makes no excuse for this deception.

"It was a very close-knit club and they just wouldn't allow you to get in," he said. "I just used my first name and my middle name — not my last name — and that gave me the entry."

That’s a clear admission of his crime that is impersonation and fraud.

 So how did Modi rise in Rajastan. When Modi came up this way, the chief minister of Rajasthan was Vasundara Raje Sindhya, the BJP leader. Modi became the right hand of Vasundara Raje and here also it’s a mystery on how.

Vasundara Raje influenced the RCA to amend the laws, giving more power to the district cricket associations. Thus through a vote, Modi became the president of Rajasthan Cricket Association for the first time in 2003. This made him the real powerful ally of Raje. It is said that if a land deal had to go through in Rajasthan, the dealer had to first meet Lalit Modi and seek permission and only after that did the dealer go to the officials. Modi himself has made a lot of money through various land deals in Rajasthan, legally and illegally. There are a lot of allegations on Modi’s illegal land grabs. Latest one being grabbing of a ‘Haveli’ in Rajasthan illegally as it was a government heritage property. The case has been filed as a criminal one against Modi and his wife. There was a Royal family who alleged Modi grabbed their ‘Havelis’ and land through the real estate mafia.

Even before all this, Modi did his MBA or whatever graduation in the US. Its actually like in films when they say - ‘this underworld king started his crimes at a young age of 11 or 12’. Modi was accused of and arrested for a serious crime of Drug Trafficking in the US in 1985. He was found guilty too. He was also arrested for kidnapping and assaulting, and proven guilty. Now, shockingly Modi brushes this aside by this statement which is a sarcastic acceptance. “When I was in college I was in a fraternity and the fraternity was charged with a conspiracy to buy drugs — there were no drugs," he said. "What I may have done in my past, when I was in my teens, is not something that I am today." 

The Supreme Court has been hearing a petition challenging Modi’s position as a cricket official since 2005. But the case has acquired urgency lately after the petitioner asked for a quick resolution, either way.

Documents available with HT show Modi had pleade guilty to possessing cocaine, abduction and assault in the state of North Carolina in 1985.These documents are included in the petition being heard by the Supreme Court, challenging Modi's election as president of the Rajasthan Cricket Association on the grounds that its rules do not permit anyone convicted of a criminal offence to hold the post of an office-bearer. The petitioner is Kishore Rungta, who was defeated by Modi in the state elections. If the court upholds the petitioner's plea, Modi's position as vice-president of the Board for Control of Cricket in India may also become untenable.http://www.hindustantimes.com/special-news-report/IPL2008/Drug-rap-returns-to-haunt-IPL-boss-Modi/Article3-313632.aspx

 In 1985, General Court of Justice, Durham County, had charged Modi with kidnapping, assault and possession of 400 grams of cocaine, court documents show. He then entered a 'plea bargain', which is permitted under the US law and allows a reduced punishment without a trial if the accused confesses to his or her crimes. 

"Since the case was reported in the press, in order to avoid further publicity, embarrassment, protracted litigation in a foreign country, heavy costs and consequent intervention with his academic career, he entered into plea bargaining," Modi's lawyers wrote in a submission to the Supreme Court.The Durham County Court accepted Modi's plea bargaining application and found him guilty of kidnapping and assault. The court sentenced him to two years imprisonment and fined him $10,000. On Modi's request, the court placed him on five-year probation, asking him to undergo 100 hours of community service. The decision on sentencing for possession of drugs was deferred for five years on the condition that a $50,000 cash bond was deposited with the court. This is a normal practice in North Carolina for the first-time offenders.

 Modi moved the court again in 1986 -- after graduating from Duke University – seeking permission to move to India on health grounds, probably another fake.

 The court ordered: "As a fact the defendant has been hospitalised. His doctors indicate that a return to his home in India would facilitate his recovery and; they said probation be modified to unsupervised probation. As a condition, the defendant is to perform 200 hours of community service by 1990.”

Modi's lawyers say the US court did not pass any final judgment on the drugs charge in the next five years and the cash bond was also discharged. North Carolina rules allow first-time offenders in drugs cases to be given the benefit of deferred sentences. The issue of Modi's conviction has been haunting him regularly. 

A public interest litigation in the Mumbai High Court in 2007 challenged his election as BCCI vice-president on the same ground. Though the court refused to unseat Modi, it asked the BCCI "to implement stringent regulatory measures so that those involved in criminal cases, not just illegal drugs but other serious charges have no place in administration". There are no indications so far that the BCCI paid any heed to the Bombay High Court's suggestions.

The Supreme Court is yet to deliver a final judgment on this.

Now, let’s be back where we were. In 2004 there started a big power struggle on similar lines with the one that’s happening now. Sharad Pawar, the big politician, was vying for the post of the BCCI president and he was looking to oust Jagmohan Dalmiya then. Modi, knowing the moment, backed Pawar. IS Bindra, who is now the PCA president and former BCCI president, was Dalmiyas right hand man. At the last moment he backed off and joined Pawar which completely derailed Dalmiya. 

Thus the group that is now in the BCCI was formed. Modi’s rise was quick and exactly it happens in such cases, filled with many illegal and criminal cases. Not to let the others in this group clean. They too are making tons of money though illegal means.

In 2005, Dalmiya was ousted and Pawar became the president of the BCCI.

The IPL started in 2008, and all the credits were showered on Modi, though a similar league-ICL- existed and was powered down later by BCCI. The concept of T20 was there from since 2003 and the concept of franchisees is there in football since 1990. So I don’t understand, how Modi could just nurture out this ‘BRAND’ [I hate to hear cricket being dubbed a band]. Modi became all the more powerful with the IPL and became the Commissioner of IPL. Though I wonder about the positions in the BCCI as to whom is Modi accountable? He is also in the BCCI.

But in between all this, the Rajasthan government changed in 2008 due to a Gurjar tension. Congress came to power and this spelt trouble for Modi. All of a sudden cases were stacked against him in courts. The above mentioned case of ‘a criminal cannot be an office bearer’ case was as a result of the election. Other cases were that of ‘Havelis’. Modi allegedly, acquired these ‘Havelis’, to be a resident of Rajasthan so as to contest the RCA elections. So everything associated with him is a forgery. 

The tenants in the ‘Havelis’ were first evicted in the name of conservation and then were sold to a company in which Lalit Modi and his wife were directors. Settlement records however show that the ‘Havelis’ were actually government property.

"I have got the report and I'm studying it. I am yet to examine it in detail as I was busy in a cabinet meeting," said Rajasthan Art and Heritage Minister Bina Kak.

In fact families living in these havelis for generations have complained that the Raje government forced them to vacate their homes in the name of conservation and that the state archaelogical department even sent notices to haveli owners asking them to vacate. The pressure tactic allowed Modi to buy the havelis through a company called Heritage Constructions and then Ananda Heritage hotels.

"We never wanted to sell our havelis; who would want to sell his home? But the government piled on a lot of pressure on us saying that you have to vacate as these are heritage properties," said Bharat Singh, the owner of Amer haveli.

The pressure was too much. Modi lost the RCA election in 2008 and fight broke out between the Congressman, who was opposite Modi and Modi. The RCA was locked using 2 locks and even 2 teams were sent for a domestic competition, both being rejected in the end. There was a second election held as the court interfered and Modi lost again, this time the Congress candidate was different. Again fight broke out and Modi alleged that his supporters were not allowed to vote. But the result stayed. Modi was in trouble for his post in the BCCI as the vice-president which he became after the IPL started. But IS Bindra came to his aide and Modi became the vice-president of the Punjab CA. 

But Shashank Manohar, who had by that time become president of the BCCI from the vice-president position, was against Modi acquiring more and more power. Some of the congress members like Rajiv Shukla were also against this. Thus the move to oust Modi started in 2009 itself, if I am guessing right.

The rest of the saga is explained in my earlier blog.

 
Thanks!