CAB rebels to field Dalmiya for higher share in IPL cash

Kolkata, Feb 25 (IANS) The rebel group in the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) is working overtime to bring in former Indian cricket board president Jagmohan Dalmiya to voice their demands over higher share in the proceeds from the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL).

"I have not made up my mind as yet, though a lot of member associations has approached me," Jagmohan Dalmiya, who is now on a self-imposed exile from cricket, told IANS.

CAB President Prasun Mukherjee has called a Special General Body Meeting (SGM) to iron out the differences that have arisen over the sharing of tickets during the IPL.

While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has given clear directives that the state associations will get no more than 20 percent of the tickets, the opposition, it seems, will settle for nothing less than 30 percent.

Biswaroop Dey of the opposition group said: "We are trying to get a two-thirdsmajority of the member clubs to sign our demands. That would be a little more than 70. We have only one objective and that is to see how can the IPL money help in building the infrastructure of the members of CAB."

"We are also not against IPL matches. We are against being left out. Moreover, the Working Committee meeting was also held without any papers being shown by the president. How can we believe only a word of mouth? We need something concrete," he said.

"If we can get more than two-thirds signatures of the member associations, we will coax Jagmohan Dalmiya to plead our case in the SGM," he said.

Gautam Dasgupta, former BCCI joint-secretary, said, "There are two things that we want. First, we want to know clearly in writing the terms and conditions of holding the IPL."

"Secondly, as we understand the IPL is a money spinning event, so we must know clearly what is CAB's share and how much of it would be ploughed back for the development of cricket in Bengal," he added.

Earlier, when CAB president Prasun Mukherjee raised his concerns about ticket share, IPL Commissioner and chairman Lalit Modi threatened the CAB of withdrawing the Kolkata team if it did not adhere to the rules and regulations of the League.