IPL boss responds to rebel league allegations

Lalit Modi has denied allegations of wrongdoing

Suspended Indian Premier League (IPL)Chairman Lalit Modi has responded to allegations that he planned to set up a rebel league in England.

Correspondents say that while lawyers have refused to reveal the contents of the letter, Mr Modi is thought to have strongly denied the claims.

Mr Modi sent his reply to senior Indian cricket officials.

They asked him to explain reports that he met English county officials to discuss a parallel IPL.

A county official who met Mr Modi said he was only on a "fact-finding mission".

Yorkshire chief executive Stewart Regan, who was was one of three county officials who met Mr Modi, has said "there were no deals, no secret meetings, no offers made".

Following the meeting, there have been reports that plans to host a parallel IPL-style event in England were discussed, with existing IPL franchises bidding for involvement in the domestic game.

England and Wales Cricket Board Chairman Giles Clarke questioned Mr Modi's motives for establishing a possible parallel IPL in an email to Indian cricket officials.

'Rigged bids'

Mr Modi has already sent a 15,000-page reply to earlier corruption allegations brought against him by cricket officials.

Officials are investigating irregularities in the IPL's broadcasting rights and claims that bids for team franchises were rigged.

Mr Modi, who founded the competition, has denied any wrongdoing.

The IPL started in 2008 and has become a multi-billion dollar industry.

Mr Modi was suspended as its chief last month.

The main accusations against him related to the initial bids for the Rajasthan and Punjab team franchises and alleged bid-rigging for two new franchises that will start next year.

He also faces probes into the sale of broadcasting and internet rights.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has said that if Mr Modi's reply convinces the members, proceedings will be dropped.

The crisis erupted after Mr Modi revealed on his Twitter account that a female friend of Shashi Tharoor, a junior government minister, had invested in a consortium awarded a new IPL franchise in Kochi.

That revelation caused a storm which sparked Mr Tharoor's resignation and also led to government investigations into the teams, sponsors, broadcasters and event managers associated with the IPL.