IMG deny charges

A statement from the events management group said it had always respected the authority and sovereignty of official sports federations.

The response came in the wake of news reports quoting Giles Clarke, Chairman of The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), that IMG had been involved in planning an unsanctioned Twenty20 cricket league with a number of ECB member-counties.

“IMG has a 50-year record of integrity in the business of sport and at all times IMG respects the authority and sovereignty of official federations and governing bodies,” the statement said.

“IMG has not been involved in any plans of the kind suggested in the quotes attributed to Mr Clarke. Representatives of certain ECB member-counties requested a meeting with Mr Lalit Modi through IMG. An informal lunch meeting subsequently took place on 31st March 2010 in Delhi and was attended by IMG executives,” it said.