BCCI ready to take harsh decisions: Shukla

Faced with a defiant Lalit Modi who is refusing to step down as IPL Commissioner, the BCCI on Wednesday talked tough and said it would not hesitate to take harsh decisions to protect its image which has taken a hit due to allegations of financial irregularities.

Faced with a defiant Lalit Modi who is refusing to step down as IPL Commissioner, the BCCI on Wednesday talked tough and said it would not hesitate to take harsh decisions to protect its image which has taken a hit due to allegations of financial irregularities.

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BCCI's media and finance committee chairman Rajiv Shukla said if situation demands tough decisions, they would be taken when the IPL's Governing Council meets on April 26.

"The question of people refusing to back down or not, they don't matter. After the meeting between BCCI President Shashank Manohar and Sharad Pawar yesterday, it has been decided that in the April 26 Governing Council meeting, we will sit together and unanimously decide what to do," Shukla told reporters in New Delhi.

"These decisions would in the interest of cricket and the BCCI. No matter how harsh they might seem, decisions would be taken to protect the BCCI and cricket's image in the country. We have never compromised on our image in the past 60 years and there would be no compromise this time too," he added.

The skeletons started tumbling out after Modi's tweets on the shareholding pattern of the new Kochi franchise disclosed that former junior foreign minister Shashi Tharoor's close friend Sunanda Pushkar had a 'sweat equity' worth Rs 70 crore in the team.

Tharoor had to resign as a result but Modi is also in trouble after damaging revelations of his alleged 'silent' stakes in at least three IPL teams. Besides, Modi is also facing accusations of money laundering and betting in the IPL.

A concerned BCCI has been in damage control mode ever since and there are indications that the Board's top brass wants Modi out after the IPL ends on April 25.