2009 auction rigged to benefit CSK: Modi

With his hands already full grappling with the Sahara controversy, N Srinivasan on Tuesday was left fending off a volley of allegations from his arch-rival Lalit Modi.

Always looking for an opportunity to get back at the current BCCI president, the former IPL commissioner fired fresh allegations against the Chennai Super Kings chief. Speaking to CNN-IBN, Modi alleged that the 2009 IPL auction was rigged in favour of the Super Kings.

Modi, who was the main force behind the launch of the IPL three years ago and was the chief of the league at that time, said that the rules were tweaked to allow former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff to remain with Chennai.

"Flintoff's auction was rigged. I made it clear that time. That onus was on me and as chairman I should have not have allowed that. I was arm-twisted to allow Flintoff to go to CSK. I'm to blame for that. It's a fact. Similar problem happened with the Pakistani players. Arm-twisting happened, by senior BCCI officials, that nobody should pick them," Modi told the news channel.

Modi was suspended by the BCCI after the 2010 edition following allegations of financial irregularities and since then he has been living in London. The Board chief, however, dismissed all the allegations, asking why was Modi talking about 2009 in 2012.

Modi backed Sahara India's decision to end their sponsorship of the Indian team and pull out as owners of the Pune Warriors IPL franchise. "Subroto (Roy, Sahara Group chairman) is right when he says there is no level playing field. Over the past few seasons we have seen rules being changed to benefit one team or the other. The IPL was built on the premises that there should be a level playing field," he said.