The cricket control board on Wednesday washed its hands off the Sahara Group issue, rejecting its claim that the BCCI had failed to expedite the arbitration process to reduce the franchise fee for IPL team Pune Warriors India and affirming it was not responsible for the situation.
A day after Sahara Group pulled out of the IPL after the board decided to encash its bank guarantee following a prolonged financial dispute, BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale said they had wanted an end to the impasse but it was the Sahara Group who had stalled matters.
The BCCI said it had received no communication from the franchisee, Sahara Adventure Sports Limited, on the decision to pull out from supporting PWI, and confirmed that it had encashed a part of the franchisee fee of `120 crore due for 2013. “The IPL Governing Council met with representatives of the franchisee on 21 February 2013 and received assurances that the franchisee would settle all obligations as they fell due. Once the 3 April 2013 due date had passed, the Governing Council had two letters sent to Sahara Adventure Sports Limited — one on 12 April 2013 and the second on 24 April 2013 — requesting settlement of the overdue amount. “No payment was made and no response was received to the second letter and so, in order to protect its interests, the BCCI was forced to encash the guarantee,” Jagdale said.
On Tuesday, Sahara said that arbitration on the issue of reduction of franchisee fee had not seen any progress due to BCCI’s rigidity, but the board said it was the former which was responsible. “While it is true that the arbitration has not progressed, the BCCI cannot be held responsible since every one of the eminent retired judges suggested by the BCCI was not found acceptable by the franchisee,” the statement said.