Modi refuses to attend 'unauthorised' meeting, asks for time to prepare case

A defiant Indian Premier League Commissioner Lalit Modi on Wednesday made it clear that he will not attend the April 26 IPL Governing Council meeting convened apparently to decide his fate, saying he considers it "unauthorised".

Modi, reportedly on his way out because of alleged financial irregularities and nepotism in IPL bidding, shot an e-mail to BCCI President Shashank Manohar, saying he needs more time to prepare his case and would prefer a May 1 meeting.

"If the meeting does go ahead on 26th April instead of 1st of May as I have asked it will deem to be unofficial," Modi wrote.

"...I do not propose to attend any unauthorised meeting," said the IPL chief.

Modi trained his guns on BCCI secretary N Srinivasan, also the managing director of India Cements, which owns Chennai Super Kings, calling him a "conflicted party" and questioning his authority to convene a Governing Council meeting.

"The IPL has been given the powers by the (BCCI) general body to hold their own meetings and I am sorry to say that the Hon. Secretary (BCCI) has never called a GC since inception or is the convener.

"All he is actually is an ex-officio member of the GC as an office bearer of BCCI and as he is a conflicted party who owns an IPL team. He has never and can never call a GC meeting," Modi asserted.

Modi said he was not against a meeting but all he needed was time.

"...all I have said is meeting will take place and I want the time to prepare the agenda, circulate it and also make the documents available.

"...I just returned from Dubai last night and was attending the ICC meeting which you (Manohar) asked me to attend on your behalf...we had to move the matches from Bangalore and also we have the playoffs and awards. We are working 24x7 and as such have had no time to prepare or will have time to do so till post 26th," said Modi.