Lalit Modi, the man “who saw the future” in the Indian Premier league as its founder and first chairman, has now reportedly trained his sights on The Hundred.
The businessman, who remains persona non grata for the Board of Control for Cricket in India, has reportedly approached the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) with a proposal to restructure the league.
Modi’s proposal draws parallels to IPL’s business model, according to a Cricbuzz report, with the aim to substantially bolster ECB’s revenues. The report adds that the proposal suggests aligning The Hundred, which was launched in 2021, with the T20 format.
His proposed plan consists of a $100 million purse for the players over a 10-year period and a $1 billion inflow into the board’s coffers. Modi has suggested a 10-team tournament with low IPL franchise involvement, so as to help forge an English-dominated league. “I have suggested only two IPL teams; it has to be an English league and not India dominated,” the report quotes Modi as having said.
Modi’s proposal comes at a time when ECB is considering inducting private investors into its structure. Since Modi has been shunned by the BCCI, the English cricket board might consider his plan only after consulting with the BCCI, keeping their bilateral ties in mind.
“Being an sovereign and autonomous body, ECB is not obliged to consult the BCCI but it may for the sake of bilateral relations with the BCCI,” the report quoted a source (Modi?) as saying.
“The BCCI is treating Modi as a pariah. While it continues to flourish on [his] invention but avoids the mention of his name. No commentator ever takes his name during the IPL,” the source added.
Meanwhile, the ECB is yet to respond to Modi’s proposal.
