BCCI's Working Committee to decide on Sahara dispute today

The all-powerful Working Committee of the BCCI will decide on all the "outstanding issues" concerning the Sahara Group in Chennai on today.

What transpires in the boardroom will decide on how a compromise formula can be worked out to break the week-long stalemate. On Sunday, the who's who of BCCI and Sahara got together here to discuss the contentious issues amid rumours that a breakthrough had been achieved.

In attendance were Subrata Roy, his sons Sushanto and Sumanto and the director of the Pune Warriors, Abhijit Sarkar. The BCCI were represented by president N Srinivasan, also owner of Chennai Super Kings, IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla, BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale and treasurer Ajay Shirke.

Lips though were sealed in both camps. The only official communication which came about said Monday's Working Committee meeting in Chennai would discuss matters.

While last week's email to the media from the Sahara group, moments before the IPL auctions in Bangalore, had caused a lot of heartburn and acrimony, Sunday's meeting seemed to have been more cordial and if sources are to be believed in both camps, the BCCI and Sahara have made significant headway in breaking the stalemate that provoked the latter to withdraw sponsorship of the Indian cricket team and also pull out of the IPL.

"Sahara and BCCI met today and discussed all the outstanding issues, and it was agreed that the subject will be further discussed in the BCCI Working Committee meeting tomorrow," a joint statement issued after the meeting said. "The interaction was focused on the interest of Indian cricket, including the IPL," it added.

It is learnt that Sahara's request to get fringe players from other franchises on loan, an idea mooted first by Royal Challenger Bangalore's Siddhartha Mallya, could be considered after discussion with other teams and stakeholders.

India's star cricketer Yuvraj Singh undergoes treatment for lung cancer in US

Yuvraj Singh, who played a stellar role in India's ODI World Cup triumph last year, has been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy in the United States, his physiotherapist said on Sunday.

The 30-year-old left-hander has been in the US since last month being treated for what was earlier claimed to be a tumour in the lungs, by his family.

But it has now been diagnosed as malignant and Yuvraj is currently undergoing chemotherapy in the Cancer Research Institute in Boston, his physiotherapist Dr Jatin Chaudhary said.

Dr Chaudhary however, assured that the ailment is curable and the batsman would be fit to resume cricket in May. His mother Shabnam Singh could not be reached while his father, former cricketer Yograj refused comments on the matter.

"It is a rare tumour and is cancerous but it has been detected in stage one itself. Doctors had to decide whether to continue medication or go for chemotherapy but since parts of the tumour are just above the artery of his heart, there was a danger that while running it could burst. But it is 100 per cent curable," Chaudhary said.

"It is not life threatening or career-threatening and it responds very well to chemotherapy. By the grace of God it was detected early and there is nothing to be scared of.

"The doctors decided that he would have to undergo chemotherapy and he travelled to the US on January 26. End of March, he would undergo a CT scan and should recover by then. After that it is just some rehabilitation in April before he is fit to be back on the field in May," he added.

Yuvraj, who was Player of the Tournament in the World Cup last year with 362 runs, 15 wickets and four Man-of-the-Match awards, has also been taking ayurvedic medicines to battle the disease.

"After ayurvedic treatment, only three cycles of chemotherapy are required. Initially when the cancer was diagnosed after a biopsy in October end, doctors feared that the treatment would be six cycles of chemotherapy," Chaudhary said.

Chaudhary said the detection of cancer was delayed by wrong diagnosis by an Indian hospital.

Meanwhile, the BCCI vice president Rajiv Shukla said that the Board was aware of Yuvraj's ailment and has been extending full support.

"We are concerned about his health and we wish him a speedy recovery. We hope that he will regain full fitness and comeback," Shukla said.

Yuvraj's teammate, paceman S Sreesanth also wished him a speedy recovery.

"It's sad to hear Yuvraj's ailment. Health is very important and I wish him very speedy recovery."

Tennis player Rohan Bopanna, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah also wished him speedy recovery.

Yuvraj has played 37 Tests, scoring 1775 runs at an average of 34.80.

He has 8051 runs at an average of 37.62 from his 274-match ODI career, the highlight of which was his stellar role in India's World Cup triumph last year.

In 23 Twenty20s, Yuvraj has scored 567 runs at 31.50.

Sahara ends sponsorship of Team India & pulls out from IPL

In a surprise development, the Indian cricket team's longtime sponsor Sahara India on today ended financial ties with the BCCI and also pulled out of the IPL by withdrawing from Pune Warriors' ownership just hours before the players' auction.

Sahara, which has been the team sponsor for 11 years, signed a renewed agreement with the BCCI on July 1, 2010 till December 31, 2013.

Sahara was paying Rs 3.34 crore per Test match, one-day international and Twenty20 International under the new terms.

"...after an 11-year journey as sponsors, we can say with surety that cricket has become very rich. Many rich people are there to support cricket with a strong will to do so. So, with absolute peace of mind we can exit from cricket under BCCI and are exiting with a heavy heart," Sahara India said in a statement.

Sahara, which entered the cash-rich IPL bandwagon last year along with the now-disbanded Kochi Tuskers Kerala, complained that several requests put forth by it with regards to players and the number of matches were not accepted by the BCCI.

"Last year, Sahara entered the IPL on the basis of information in the media and everywhere else that 94 matches will be played among 10 teams. The bid price was accordingly calculated, but only 74 matches were played. We are still pursuing continuously with the BCCI to refund the extra bid money proportionately. It has been denied on the basis of strict rules.”

"In the interest of the tournament, we repeatedly tried our best to pursue the BCCI for open auction of all players so that we achieve level playing field and all teams are equally balanced from the quality players' point of view. Again, as per BCCI's strict rules it was denied and again, we were deprived of natural justice. 12 of the best players were retained by the existing teams then," it added.

"The two new teams then requested for allowing us at least one extra foreign player but that too was denied, quoting rules."

Sahara's marquee player in the IPL is skipper Yuvraj Singh, who is currently recovering from tumour in the lungs.

His unavailability in the IPL this season prompted Sahara to ask the BCCI that the price of the batsman be added to their overall purse for the players auction but the request was turned down.

Sahara is apparently also unhappy with the fact that Royal Challengers Bangalore were allowed to buy replacement player Chris Gayle this season.

"The manner in which Gayle was bought was not liked by many franchises including Sahara," a Sahara official said on condition of anonymity.

Sahara said even during the Champions League Twenty20, an injury-plagued Mumbai Indians were allowed to field an extra foreign player due to the crisis in the team but such gestures were never extended to Pune Warriors.

But the company said that it would pay its sponsorship free for the next few months giving time to the BCCI to find a new sponsor. It also promised to pay the dues of its IPL players and staff.

"We don't want to give any problem to the BCCI and we also feel that the players should not suffer. BCCI will definitely take 2-4 months to get a new sponsor and we will continue paying the sponsorship money till then," it said.

"All other IPL team players, coaches and other such associates will definitely get their due this year, in case they do not get a chance to play," it said.

Detailing what it felt were the BCCI's attempts at slighting the company, Sahara was also unhappy about the fact that its logo was removed from the team shirt during the 2003 World Cup and a couple of other tournaments on directives of the ICC.

"Once during a World Cup tournament, Sahara's name was not allowed because there was a clash of our Airline with a South African airline. In two major tournaments, the team had to play without the Sahara logo," Sahara said.

"It was ICC's decision so we could realise that it was for no fault of BCCI and we also did not want the players to suffer. As per the rules, we were not supposed to pay sponsorship money for those matches but we still paid the players share of the amount in entirety. Sadly, we never found BCCI believing in genuine give and take," the company stated.

Having withdrawn from cricket under BCCI, Sahara said it would put in Rs. 1000 crore in a welfare foundation.

"We are very happy to take a decision that the cricket money will be diverted to social work. We are declaring to put immediately Rs. 500 crore in Sahara Welfare Foundation, which will be run with the association of eminent persons of our country. For the programme as mentioned below, Sahara declares to put around Rs. 500 crore more in the next 1-2 years as per the need of all the programmes," the company said.

"We are working on various programmes including financial implications etc since we have taken this decision after continuous persuasion with the BCCI failed, meaning on the February 2, 2012. But we waited upto the auction day that our request to BCCI would be accepted. But again, there was no natural justice."

Sahara said it would develop "20 Rural/Semi Urban Sports Promotional Centres including Rural/Semi Urban Cricket promotional Centres."

"Centres will have diversified sports disciplines viz. cricket, hockey, soccer, formula1, tennis, golf, wrestling, boxing etc. One international standard sports academy shall immediately be developed at one point in India. All best selected students shall ultimately come to this International Class Sports Academy."

Sahara also announced that a support fund for old (retired) and present players who, at times, face "miserable days regarding medical bills, girls marriage, shelter etc."

"Every year minimum 10 crore will be distributed -- Rs 3 crore for cricketers. Rs 7 Crore for all other disciplines."

"We shall discuss with other federations where we are sponsoring different disciplines of sports and as per the genuine need for better promotion, we shall enhance the sponsorship amount."