Lalit Modi sends defamation notice to ECB chief Clarke

Lalit Modi on Monday served a defamation notice on England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Giles Clarke, who had accused the suspended IPL Commissioner of hatching a plan to destroy the structure of world and English cricket.

Modi's defamation notice mentions Clarke's May 2 e-mail to BCCI President Shashank Manohar wherein the ECB boss had accused the suspended IPL chief of seeking to float a rebel league in England, violating International Cricket Council regulations.

The defamation notice was sent to Clarke through Modi's London-based solicitors Carter-Ruck and it has given the ECB chief seven days' time to provide a "full and unconditional apology and retraction in a form, manner and terms to be agreed", according to sources close to Modi.

Modi's legal counsel Mehmood Abdi also confirmed the development.

In the notice, Modi said Clarke's allegation was based on Modi's March 31 meeting in Delhi attended by representatives of three English counties.

Modi has said in the notice that Clarke's claims are "utterly untrue" and that at no time did he get involved in "planning an unauthorised cricket league or tournament anywhere in the world which is not approved either by the ICC or ICC's member associations".

First Published: May 31, 2010 21:06 IST