Mithun wants ICL matches at Eden,CAB ruling member in controversy

Kolkata, Jul 24 (UNI) Bollywood star Mithun Chakraborty, owner of Royal Bengal Tiger, an ICL cricket team, has said efforts were on to host RBT's ICL matches at Eden Gardens.

''I have already written to the sports minister to allow us to host RBT's home matches at Eden Gardens and he answered in the affirmative,'' Mithun told mediapersons at the launch of Royal Bengal Sports Pvt ltd, a company to manage the RBT, here last night.

Mithun had written West Bengal's Sports Minister Subash Chakraborty to allow the ICL to host T-20 matches at the Eden Gardens.

The Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI), India's cricket governing body, has warned its affiliated associations across the country not to keep any track with the ICL, its affiliated assocations and players on any terms and defiance would attract legal action.

The RBT owner said if the ICL matches were allowed to be hosted at the Eden Gardens, cricket fans can have opportunity to see how their home grown players compete with international stars.

Indian Cricket League (ICL) business head Himanshu Mody said despite many hurdles, the ICL would go ahead and build up strong cricketing support for its T-20 matches.

Asked what the ICL was doing when the BCCI warned VVS Laxman not to play at Glamergon in county cricket in England because the club has many ICL players, Mody said, ''We will strive our best to go ahead with our scheduled.'' Mr Mody also assured ICL's full support to Mithun's effort to make Howrah Union into a big soccer giant in India.

Mithun's RBT has signed an agreement with the 86-year-old soccer club for a five-year term to promote the club.

The agreement has sparked off a controversy as Howrah Union's secretary Indranath Dey is also a vice-president of Cricket Association of Bengal, an affiliate member of the BCCI.

Dey is also a panel member of CAB's incumbent president Prasun Mukherjee for CAB's 29 July election.

The rival group, headed by former CAB president Jagmohun Dalmiya, has already started a campaign to oust a member, who has connection with the ICL.

''He (Dey) has no moral right to contest the elections,'' Biswarup Dey, a rival candidate for the post of joint secretary, said.

A report published today quoting CAB Joint Secretary Samar Paul said ''(Indranath) Dey never informed us before joining hands with the ICL. We have aksed for a copy of the Howrah Union's MoU with the ICL, we will send it to the BCCI on Friday. If they ask us to drop Dey from our panel, we will be left with no other option,'' Paul said.

Rubbushing the allegation Indraanth Dey said his agreement with the RBT had nothing to do with cricket. The Agreement was only that the RBT would support Howrah Union for football promotion.

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