A 1.2 billion pound sterling plan called "Project Victoria", allegedly conceived by Lalit Modi to launch a rebel Twenty20 league in England, is set to be at the center of a libel case filed by the sacked IPL chief against ECB boss Giles Clarke, according to a report.
Clarke is being sued for libel over an e-mail he sent last May to Indian Cricket Board warning of an alleged plot by Modi and international sports marketing firm IMG to "destroy world cricket's structure, especially in England" and the case is being heard in the High Court in July, Daily Telegraph reported.
The England and Wales Cricket Board chief faces two separate libel actions -- one from Lalit Modi and another from IMG -- with both of whom denying they were involved in any plan to set up a rebel T20 league in England.
Clarke has alleged that IMG and Modi held discussions with leading English counties over a secret plan to introduce an IPL-style T20 competition involving franchises rather than counties and projected to be worth more than 1.2 billion pounds.
Three months before the meeting with the counties, Modi and IMG produced a document entitled 'Project Victoria', a working model of how franchise cricket could work in England, according to the newspaper.
{{/usCountry}}Three months before the meeting with the counties, Modi and IMG produced a document entitled 'Project Victoria', a working model of how franchise cricket could work in England, according to the newspaper.
{{/usCountry}}Clarke alleged that 'Project Victoria' proposed setting up a new corporate governing body, separate to the ECB, to run the league, and that this body would sell franchises on behalf of counties involved.
"IMG and Modi developed the plan because they "believed that the ownership of counties by members was anachronistic and the counties could be exploited," Clarke had alleged.
These franchises – "contemplated to be the existing IPL franchise holders" – would be allowed to be owned by corporate bodies and individuals and would receive the majority of revenue from the media rights, central sponsorships and gate receipts, he said.
According to the newspaper, IMG would own 50 per cent of the equity in the league and had employed an American consultancy firm called Raine Consulting to assist with the project. Over 11 years Raine estimated the value of the league to IMG would be 369,700,000 pounds with 700 million pounds flowing to the franchises, and the counties receiving 200million pounds.
The newspaper said IMG will argue before the High Court that 'Project Victoria' was a private brainstorming project and that contained within the document was the acknowledgment that the new league could become a reality only with the full permission of the ECB and Clarke. It will also claim the project has never, at any point, been discussed with counties.