In a bizarre twist of events, a day after CSK failed to qualify for the CLT20 semifinals BCCI has released a statement announcing they will not support the CLT20 anymore. They said that the BCCI honchos had, after a long deliberation with the CSK team, taken this decision.
When contacted, the BCCI President Mr. Srinivasan stonewalled the queries initially but finally said, “We have decided not to support CLT20 in its current form.” He refused to give any further explanations and left in a huff saying he had deals to cement.
The BCCI Spokesperson was not so lucky. Caught red faced and towel clad as he stepped out of a sauna at one of the finest hotel in the city, Mr. Shukla had to answer the questions as the mediapersons tugged away at him. “The BCCI standing committee, after intense debate, came to the conclusion that the CLT20 is not accurate enough and there by BCCI will not support it”. Upon further prodding for the logic behind such an incredulous claim he said, “If CLT20 was 95% accurate the best CLT20 team in the universe would have won 95% of its matches but that clearly has not been the case. “
When MSD was contacted for his statement he said, “Well of course the CLT20 format is flawed. CLT20 is supposed to pit the best of the second best T20 teams of the world against the best team in the universe in the final. Clearly that is not happening. The BCCI is working hard to find the right format for the CLT20”.
Later in the day the ICC announced that the CLT20 has been scrapped and a new tournament called the IC-CLT20 will be replacing it. The new tournament will have 9 teams. 8 teams will be fighting it out for a spot in the finals while CSK will be given a bye – straight to the final. The tournament will have Aircel Power Sixes, Gulf Oil Moments of Success, and Coromandel King Man of the Match. The Winners’ Trophy is a life size replica of Mr. Srinivasan which on account of being too heavy to lift has been permanently put up on display at the home of the Champions, the India Cements headquarters. The runner ups get a free tour of the Chepauk plus a CSK jersey signed by MSD and Mr. Srinivasan.