IPL 'Lalit Modi threatens to axe players who opt out of IPL' - BBC

[Ollie_H]

Lalit Modi has warned any player who opts out of this year's Indian Premier League because of security concerns risks their future in the tournament.

A number of players, particularly from Australia, have offered concerns raised by a report into security at the event.

But, on a series of Twitter messages, the IPL commissioner said: "The government has already given ample assurances for safe conduct of games.
"For those who decide not to show up... They risk being in future IPLs."
Modi added: "The call will be theirs. We will allow replacements for those who decide not to show up. We have 98 players on the waiting list eager to get called in.

"The IPL is for India and will remain for India. No one can dictate to us how we should conduct our tournaments."

Modi also went so far as to post: "Been told (Australia captain) Ricky Ponting (is) pressuring players not to come.''

The independent report, written by British security expert Reg Dickason, raised "serious" concerns about safety at the IPL, according to the head of the Australian Cricketers' Association, Paul Marsh.

BBC Sport - Cricket - Lalit Modi threatens to axe players who opt out of IPL

Lalit Modi trying to make everyone his minions and threatening them, what's he gonna do if all these players really do come and then there is a terrorist attack, no one will trust him and it won't do the Indian Cricket teams a load of good either. The IPL was a great initiation by the man and fair play to him, a great idea for business. He has left other countries wishing they had cashed in before hand, but what sort of league is he running?

All the clubs are gonna be scrapped of their players and we're back to square one with a new draft and completely new teams with 3 years of team building going to waste, and now he is basically forcing people to come to his tournament or face eviction from it.

 

[SaiSrini]

If the security demands are met and if the government and the IPL have given ample security assurance, why cant the players come and play? There has been no terrorist attack on the players in India, unlike what happened in Pakistan. The chances of it happening in India is far lower.

 

[Ollie_H]

Sure thing that they can go and play, but you can put as much security around as possible and their is still a chance that an attack could happen. The people who commit these attacks know what they are doing and they know how to hide things. I read a good comment somewhere that every tournament played in has some sort of probability of an attack happening.

But what I don't like about what Modi is doing, if these people don't want to come as it might risk their lives he shouldn't be forcing them to come and saying what he is saying. It is their own personal choice.

 

[SciD]

Security threat will always remain in India considering its geographical location. If players are weary of traveling to India, they should not be putting themselves up for auctions as well.

Like Modi said there are 98 players in wing and you only need 32 confirmed foreign players to hold this tournament.

The same reason was behind Pakistan players snub and I can see established players from Australia, New Zealand, England and South Africa being given thumbs down come next time for auctioning.

 

[pcfan123]

If he forces people to come and they get hurt then they should be able to sue him. Simple as

 

[jkartik]

i dont remember anyone making these "Concerns" during the 1st edition of IPL ?

and you can always expect some sort of a threat or an attack in india. sad but true. but the chances of it actually happening are VERY SLIM.

probably the only time am supporting Modi but i agree with him. if you are so scared...then might as well drop out of the IPL.

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Well I completely agree with Modi here, you have been paid loads of money by the franchise and you dont take part in the tournament then its a major loss for the franchises. If a player doesnt feel safe in India then he rather forget IPl because its going to be played in India. And anything in India has some security concerns. Take the elections, take watching a movie, take having a dinner in a hotel or even take travelling. But I must say the Indians are used to this things.

People in India cant predict what will happen in India in the next 1-2 hrs because there could be a attack and many would die. So if you are afraid to come to India better dont take part in the IPL and forget loads of money.

 

[pcfan123]

Exactly ^

So settle for a little less money and pretty much guaranteed safety and play in the Big Bash

Plus you wont have to hide in your hotel room in between matches. You can actually go outside.

 

[MaD]

I wouldn't want to go to India either, the crowds are so wild and there's just a crappy atmosphere at the stadium. Although it's up to the players if they want to come or not, why threaten them?

 

[Ollie_H]

Well I completely agree with Modi here, you have been paid loads of money by the franchise and you dont take part in the tournament then its a major loss for the franchises. If a player doesnt feel safe in India then he rather forget IPl because its going to be played in India. And anything in India has some security concerns. Take the elections, take watching a movie, take having a dinner in a hotel or even take travelling. But I must say the Indians are used to this things.

Aren't they only being paid per match? So you only get ll your money if you play a certain amount of matches? and I think that your argument is silly, just because they are/will be paid a load of money does not mean they should have to risk their lives by playing in a domestic tournament.

India will have times when it is safer, and if they don't feel they should go now, it might be safer next year and then they can go then.

 

[SaiSrini]

Why are the player associations over reacting to the threat made by the 313 brigade (the so-called right hand operational arm of the Al-Qaeda)? Didnt the IPL go on last time in India when bomb blasts were happening in Jaipur (a few days after the blast, I guess Royals even played a game there, if I am right)?

 

[rahuldravidfan]

To add another dimension to this debate with an analogy, Australia didn't pull out of the Ashes tour during the 7/7 London blasts.

There is one thing which is certain in this entire "controversy". There is gonna be a compromise deal worked out. Evidence lies here - Australian players see 'positive' steps on IPL security.

What makes this above development interesting???

1. Lalit Modi said just a day back, "Its my way or the highway".
2. Lalit Modi said he doesn't recognize FICA & ACA but they are working in tandem with Nicholls-Steyn, which is impossible if Lalit Modi actually didn't want a compromise.
3. Compromise is in everyone's best interest.

I don't know about others by I wanna see Kevin Pietersen playing Brett Lee and being caught by Albie Morkel (Ahh, all 3 nations which have concerns would play, if this were to happen).

 

[Params7]

To add another dimension to this debate with an analogy, Australia didn't pull out of the Ashes tour during the 7/7 London blasts.

There is one thing which is certain in this entire "controversy". There is gonna be a compromise deal worked out. Evidence lies here - Australian players see 'positive' steps on IPL security.

What makes this above development interesting???

1. Lalit Modi said just a day back, "Its my way or the highway".
2. Lalit Modi said he doesn't recognize FICA & ACA but they are working in tandem with Nicholls-Steyn, which is impossible if Lalit Modi actually didn't want a compromise.
3. Compromise is in everyone's best interest.

I don't know about others by I wanna see Kevin Pietersen playing Brett Lee and being caught by Albie Morkel (Ahh, all 3 nations which have concerns would play, if this were to happen).

Or he was actually spending time meeting with board officials to show them there's adequate national and state security in place for every game, like he said he was doing in his crappy twitter. SA board was satisfied with security days before Modi made those my way or highway statements.

Modi knows his career, and the run of IPL is over if we get anything like attack on SL players. Ind will probably lose the WC to Aus/NZ too. There's no doubt in my mind, even without all this drama Modi would have arranged for top notch security in place. Foreigners have the right to complain and inspect the quality of security days after some Pakistani group linked to freakin' Al-Qaida issued a threat and they would consider it pretty damn legit given how Pakistanis were treated in the auctions.

Modi has played his cards regarding this security issues perfectly so far. If some players still want to chicken out, they can chicken out, but I doubt it will happen when even Flintoff came to IPL when he later said he was scared as flip to come back to India.

 

[Highlander999]

To add another dimension to this debate with an analogy, Australia didn't pull out of the Ashes tour during the 7/7 London blasts.

Because I reckon Britain, is just a tad safer then India.......:sarcasm

 

[Prithvi]

Well, if you think about the security concerns, then the Indian all time arch rival pakistan's hockey team came to india without any problem and when the mumbai's shiv sena has allowed australians to play, I don't understand what is the factor, which is threatening the players. Aren't we people here living? If life's gonna end, it'll end even if they stay away from terror attacks.

Binnu added 1 Minutes and 51 Seconds later...

Even Indian players have threat here. Why aren't they leaving India and go to some safer place?