BCCI and Modi fail to reach compromise

The Supreme Court has been told that attempts to find a compromise between the BCCI and former IPL chairman Lalit Modi have failed, according to PTI. The Court had given both sides until October 21 to work out a solution over the composition of the committee investigating charges levied against Modi.

Ram Jethmalani, who is representing Modi in the case, said that attempts to find a solution failed despite the best efforts of those involved. The next hearing will be held on November 11.

At the first hearing on October 21, the court had offered two suggestions for the compromise: to increase the size of the existing committee or have its three members stay away from the league's governing council, which is authorised to look into the disciplinary committee's report on Modi. The disciplinary committee currently comprises IPL chairman Chirayu Amin, BCCI vice-president Arun Jaitley and Jyotiraditya Scindia, the president of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association.

Modi had filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking the removal of Amin and Jaitley from the disciplinary committee. Modi's plea for the recusal of these two members, on grounds of bias against him, had been rejected by the Bombay high court in September.

The BCCI had suspended Modi immediately following the conclusion of IPL 3 in April and charged him with financial irregularities relating to the bidding process for IPL franchises, the mid-over ad sales and the sale of theatrical rights. He was also charged with colluding to set up a rebel league in England. Modi has denied all the charges and repeatedly accused BCCI president Shashank Manohar and the president-elect N Srinivasan of harbouring personal grudges against him.

Siddle helps set up tight final day

Peter Siddle enjoyed a strong workout in the lead-up to the Ashes but Travis Birt kept Tasmania on track to set up a fascinating final day at the MCG. The Tigers finished the third afternoon with one wicket in hand and a lead of 276 - the exact total Victoria managed in the first innings - and both teams can still dream of victory.

Tasmania could add a few more runs in the morning, although they will need to rely on the tailenders Xavier Doherty, who was on 5, and Adam Griffith, who was yet to score. Darren Pattinson bowled Victoria back into the contest with three breakthroughs in the final four overs, including the key wicket of Birt, who was caught at deep square leg for 68.

It left the in-form Pattinson with 4 for 38 and he was chasing his second five-wicket haul for the summer. Pattinson is comfortably the leading wicket taker in the Sheffield Shield, but he has about as much chance of a late call-up for England's Ashes campaign as Graham Gooch.

Siddle is a much more likely Ashes prospect and he did his chances no harm with 3 for 24 from 14 overs, including the important wicket of Luke Butterworth, who made 39 in a good partnership with Birt. Butterworth had earlier collected two wickets to finish off Victoria's tail cheaply in the morning, and he ended up with figures of 4 for 36 on a personally satisfying day.