Modi's future to be decided at SGM

Lalit Modi's fate would be on top of the agenda when the BCCI's general body meets in Mumbai on Saturday for a special sitting, which is expected to take the first step towards the suspended IPL Commissioner's eventual expulsion from the Board.

Though BCCI secretary N Srinivasan has said that the Special General Meeting has been convened to rubber stamp his decision of referring the charges against Modi to the Disciplinary Committee, it's the third item on the agenda of the SGM that has raised some questions.

The three-point agenda of the meeting to be held at 1500 hours at the Board headquarters here will "ratify the action of Srinivasan in referring the charges against Modi issued in the three show cause notices served to him to the Disciplinary Committee for further proceedings.

It would also "reconstitute the disciplinary panel for holding enquiry against Modi following the recusal of one of its members – BCCI chief Shashank Manohar – from it following a request to this effect by the suspended IPL chief.

The third top onthe list is "to discuss and take any other appropriate decisions with regard to the conduct of the IPL and matters arising thereof."

Srinivasan, in an interview to a TV channel, had made it clear that no final decision will be taken on Modi's case by the SGM, which will only decide whether to refer the suspended IPL Commissioner's fate to the Disciplinary Committee.

Srinivasan said the general body would decide whether to approve his observation that Modi's reply to the three show cause notices served on him mainly on charges of financial irregularities was "unacceptable".

And if his observation gets ratified, the SGM would reconstitute the Disciplinary Committee by finding a replacement in the three-man panel for Manohar, Chirayu Amin and Arun Jaitley being its other members.

"There are two items (on agenda for the meeting), and one is to ratify the action of Secretary in referring this to the Disciplinary Committee. In which case we would re-constitute the disciplinary committee from which Mr Manohar recused himself," Srinivasan had said.

As per the BCCI's constitution, a 3/4th majority is needed at its SGM, whenever it's specifically convened, to expel an administrator.

Indications are that Modi will have very few backers at the meeting following the decision of some of his known supporters not to attend it.

Former BCCI President Inderjit Singh Bindra, considered to be a big Modi backer, would not attend it on behalf of the Punjab Cricket Association and the PCA is to be represented by M P Pandove, according to reports.

Modi also cannot expect support from Karnataka Cricket Association member and Royal Challengers Bangalore IPL franchise owner Vijay Mallya as the liquor baron will not attend the meeting.

KSCA is to be represented by the Association president Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, it was learned. Mumbai Cricket Association would not be represented by president Sharad Pawar, who was perceived as one of Modi's backers earlier.

Pawar has taken over the reins of the International Cricket Council (ICC) as its president on Thursday.

Former India skipper and MCA's Vice President Dilip Vengsarkar will attend the meeting on behalf of MCA, according to association sources.

The IPL Governing Council members were given a run-down of the alleged irregularities committed by Modi when they met here last month-end.

It's on the cards that the BCCI members would also be told about all the happenings in the run-up to and subsequent to the suspension of the high-profile cricket administrator.

They have already been provided with copies of the three show cause notices issued to Modi and his voluminous replies to those, among other things.

Modi, meanwhile, is waiting and watching the developments and his legal counsel Mehmood Abdi said that the suspended IPL official would take "the appropriate action at the appropriate" time.