Don't deal with suspended BCCI officials: ECB tells counties

Without mentioning Lalit Modi's name, the England and Wales Cricket Board has warned its counties against holding discussions with "suspended" officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

The ECB had caused a stir a few days ago by sending the BCCI an e-mail, which allegedly revealed that suspended Indian Premier League Commissioner Modi was secretly planning a 'parallel' Twenty20 league in collusion with at least three counties.

Modi was slapped a show cause notice on the basis of that e-mail.

In its latest statement, the ECB said the BCCI has asked it to keep off suspended officials.

"The BCCI has further reminded ECB that it does not authorise any discussions with suspended officials of its Board and should any person involved in English cricket receive any contact from a suspended official then ECB has been asked to immediately report this matter to BCCI," it said.

Modi had a meeting with officials of three counties in Delhi during which he had allegedly suggested an IPL-style Twenty20 event in England.

The ECB said it was kept in the dark about the plan and only got to know of it through a whistleblower. But the counties have insisted that they had informed the ECB about the plan and there was nothing underhand about it.