"S***, Raj? Are you serious," is all Warne could say. He stood there stunned by the news involving the co-owner of his former IPL team.
The reaction here in Cardiff — where India and South Africa were gearing up to play the tournament opener when the news broke early morning — came as a huge shock to many, like it did for Warne.
The involvement of a team owner in betting on T20 league matches is probably the biggest dent to the IPL and is likely to have a huge impact on its already dwindling reputation. Here's an issue the BCCI may have to take serious note of. The involvement of a team owner puts the credibility of the Twenty20 league at such great risk that regardless of the fact that it happens to be an Indian domestic tournament, the International Cricket Council (ICC) and member boards are within their rights to bring up the issue at the annual conference here in London at the end of this month.
In 2008, after the successful launch of the T20 league by the BCCI, the ICC had agreed upon an official policy regarding the tournament. In general terms, it was agreed that the IPL was a good concept and although the introduction of privately-owned franchises could introduce unknown risks, it could also provide possible benefits.
The ICC board and the BCCI had agreed that the BCCI, as the owner of the league, would sign a standard-form contract with all of the ICC members. One of the clauses stated that the league would introduce a code of conduct, an anti-corruption code and an anti-doping code that complies with ICC regulations
That code-of-conduct clause requires franchise owners in the league to act in a manner that does not breach the ethics code and Kundra's confession to betting in the league — as 11.5% stakeholder in one of its franchises — is in clear violation of the rule.
Kundra, who is a UK-based NRI and a former CEO with UK Tradecorp — an export company — is married to actor and UK Big Brother 2007 winner Shilpa Shetty. The couple is a regular in the London party circuit.
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