Image Credit- PTI
Similar to the IPL’s economic model, Lalit Modi has
proposed a plan to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) that could greatly
increase the board’s revenue. The Hundred, an ECB competition that debuted in
2021, is to be restructured in accordance with the T20 format.
Modi’s idea has two main components: a USD 1 billion
income guarantee for the ECB and a USD 100 million prize for the participants
spread over ten years. His idea of a 10-team league emphasises the significance
of creating an English-dominated league while excluding most IPL teams. “I
have suggested only two IPL teams; it has to be an English league and not India
dominated,” Modi told without delving into the details.
Modi’s idea aligns with the European Central Bank’s
consideration of allowing private investors into its framework. Due to
bilateral relations, the ECB is expected to approve Modi’s suggestion only
after discussing the Indian board, given that he has been banned for life by
the BCCI.
“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,” said a
source in the know. “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 remarked.
Parallel to this, IPL franchises are expressing
interest in making investments in the English league; Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
being the most recent team to do so. The Sun TV Network, the company that owns
SRH, has reportedly held talks with ECB representatives. When the ECB makes a
judgement on the game’s privatisation in the UK in April, that is when the
final decision about their expression of interest is expected to be made.
It remains uncertain whether IPL teams’ interest will have anything to do with
Modi’s proposed league or The Hundred, with indications pointing towards the
two being separate entities.