David Morgan president of the International Cricket Council, outspokenly condemned the Indian Premier League deal which threatens to undermine England's preparation for the Ashes next summer.
Speaking on Saturday from his hotel in Dubai, Morgan said that the deal which Lalit Modi, chief commissioner of the Indian Premier League, proposed to Sri Lanka last week for the long-term release of their players to the IPL was "quite unacceptable behaviour against the background of Sri Lanka's signed agreement with the ECB". If ratified by the Indian board, the deal would force the abandonment of Sri Lanka's Test series in England in May.
The battle-lines have therefore been drawn up ahead of the ICC meeting in Dubai on Tuesday and Wednesday – a significant battle in the war between India, with its Asian allies plus Zimbabwe, and the rest of the cricket world.
The ECB are privately delighted to have Morgan, a former chairman of the ECB, on their side in this diplomatic offensive. The trouble for them is that what Indian officials say and what Indian officials do are not the same thing, and that – above all – IPL money speaks louder than anybody's words.
