South Africa was confirmed as host of the Champions League
Twenty20, hours before tournament chairman Lalit Modi was suspended
by India's cricket board over allegations of corruption.
Champions League organizers said the event, featuring the top
provincial teams from around the world, will be held from September
10-26, but it is unclear what role Modi, who is also chairman of
the Indian Premier League, will play.
Modi was excluded from an IPL governing council meeting Monday
after accusations of financial irregularities in the lucrative
tournament.
"The governing council has accepted Cricket South Africa's offer
to host the tournament," a Champions League statement said Sunday,
"with the venues and competing teams for the second edition of the
world's premier domestic Twenty20 competition to be finalized in
the coming weeks."
Speaking before his suspension, Modi said: "South Africa is
considered an ideal CLT20 host after successfully staging the
Indian Premier League and ICC World Twenty20 tournaments in recent
years."
Modi has been suspended from the operation of the IPL, the
Indian cricket board and any of its committees, which includes the
Champions League.
The Champions League did not comment on the allegations.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India announced Modi's
suspension late on Sunday, following the IPL final, after days of
mounting controversy.
The offices of the league and the country's national cricket
board have been raided by tax officials and Indian lawmakers have
demanded a parliamentary inquiry into claims that IPL franchises
had been sold for millions of dollars without accounting for the
source of the funds.
Modi is also a vice president of the BCCI and heads the fixtures
committee that decides the venues and itinerary of international
matches in India.
His role as chairman of September's Champions League is in
doubt, but Modi defended himself against the accusations on Monday.
"The BCCI is scared of the truth. Nothing wrong has been done,"
New Delhi Television quoted Modi as saying. "Every decision was
endorsed by the governing council."
The Champions League said its governing council is scheduled to
meet in May to finalize the details for the tournament. It is run
by the three founding member boards, the BCCI, Cricket Australia
and Cricket South Africa.
Australia's New South Wales won last year's inaugural Champions
League competition in India, with none of the IPL teams reaching
the last four.
Twenty20, hours before tournament chairman Lalit Modi was suspended
by India's cricket board over allegations of corruption.
Champions League organizers said the event, featuring the top
provincial teams from around the world, will be held from September
10-26, but it is unclear what role Modi, who is also chairman of
the Indian Premier League, will play.
Modi was excluded from an IPL governing council meeting Monday
after accusations of financial irregularities in the lucrative
tournament.
"The governing council has accepted Cricket South Africa's offer
to host the tournament," a Champions League statement said Sunday,
"with the venues and competing teams for the second edition of the
world's premier domestic Twenty20 competition to be finalized in
the coming weeks."
Speaking before his suspension, Modi said: "South Africa is
considered an ideal CLT20 host after successfully staging the
Indian Premier League and ICC World Twenty20 tournaments in recent
years."
Modi has been suspended from the operation of the IPL, the
Indian cricket board and any of its committees, which includes the
Champions League.
The Champions League did not comment on the allegations.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India announced Modi's
suspension late on Sunday, following the IPL final, after days of
mounting controversy.
The offices of the league and the country's national cricket
board have been raided by tax officials and Indian lawmakers have
demanded a parliamentary inquiry into claims that IPL franchises
had been sold for millions of dollars without accounting for the
source of the funds.
Modi is also a vice president of the BCCI and heads the fixtures
committee that decides the venues and itinerary of international
matches in India.
His role as chairman of September's Champions League is in
doubt, but Modi defended himself against the accusations on Monday.
"The BCCI is scared of the truth. Nothing wrong has been done,"
New Delhi Television quoted Modi as saying. "Every decision was
endorsed by the governing council."
The Champions League said its governing council is scheduled to
meet in May to finalize the details for the tournament. It is run
by the three founding member boards, the BCCI, Cricket Australia
and Cricket South Africa.
Australia's New South Wales won last year's inaugural Champions
League competition in India, with none of the IPL teams reaching
the last four.
CPT is an awesome stadium with good attendance...