Cannot make exceptions for Sahara in IPL: BCCI president

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) cannot make exceptions by bending rules in the Indian Premier League (IPL) to favour Pune Warriors franchise owner Sahara India, board president N.Srinivasan said Monday.

After a three-hour working committee meeting, Srinivasan said the BCCI discussed the concerns raised by Sahara India, who earlier this month severed its multi-million-dollar sponsorship deal with the BCCI and also pulled out as the owners of IPL franchise Pune Warriors.

“Issues that had to be decided were placed before the committee and we have conveyed the response from the working committee to Sahara and we hope the response would be favourable,” Srinivasan told reporters after the meeting.

Sahara, which has been sponsoring the team for 11 years, cited that it was denied natural justice and the last straw was the BCCI’s refusal to allow Yuvraj Singh’s price to be added to Pune Warriors’ auction purse after the southpaw was ruled out of the tournament with a lung tumour.

Srinivasan said Pune Warriors could have a replacement for Yuvraj as per IPL rules. He, however, made it clear that the BCCI was against changing rules for the benefit a particular franchise owner.

“Sahara had raised several issues with regard to the number of matches played last year.

Issues were also there surrounding the quantum of bank guarantee and also with their composition of team. The BCCI has responded positively within the framework of its rules and the BCCI has also said that it is not possible to create an exception because observance of the regulations strictly is important to the integrity of the league,” the board president said.

Srinivasan said the BCCI was ready to address the issues raised by Sahara as a sponsor and would not prevent Sahara from bringing a partner on board to run Pune Warriors.

“We are open to address the issues raised by Sahara in the sponsorship deal. We also don’t have objections if Sahara brings a commercial partner to join Pune Warriors as a co-owner,” he said.

Asked about the specific issued raised by Sahara, Srinivasan said: “It is a matter which should be discussed between Sahara and BCCI behind closed doors. These are not issues which can be discussed in public.”

When asked about the future of Sahara as Team India sponsor, Srinivasan said: “The position is what it was. We have responded to what Sahara has raised. We will wait to see what the reaction is.”

Srinivasan said sponsors are not deserting the BCCI.

“Sponsors are not going away. In any contractual arrangement, you will have to provide the scope for change. BCCI has not lost money. For the properties we have, we have adequate sponsors. We have problems with a sponsor, we have shown we will walk that extra mile to address them,” he said.

Sahara’s grouse is that the BCCI did not show the respect a commercial partner should be shown and the BCCI ignored some of their genuine concerns with regard to the Pune Warriors.

Sahara signed a fresh sponsorship contract with the BCCI July 1, 2010, and it runs till Dec 31, 2013. According to the Rs.532-crore contract, Sahara will pay Rs.3.34 crore per Test match, one-day international and Twenty20 international under the new terms.

Sahara bought the IPL franchise Pune Warriors for Rs.1,702 crore, making it the most expensive franchise in the Twenty20 league. In all, the BCCI stands to lose around Rs.2,234 crore.