Jaitley uphelds IPL ban on Jadeja, reprimands Mumbai Indians

NEW DELHI - Arun Jaitley Saturday upheld the one-year Indian Premier League (IPL) ban on all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja saying the player breached the trading rules by not signing his third year contract with the Rajasthan Royals.

Jadeja was banned from the 2010 IPL season after he failed to sign the renewal contract with Rajasthan for the ongoing season and instead tried to negotiate a new contract with the Mumbai team. Jaitley also reprimanded the Mumbai Indians for trying to poach a player mid-way through his contract.

Jaitley, a IPL governing council member and Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) president, took the decision in post hearing representations at Mumbai in the presence of Jadeja, who had appealed against the ban, and the two franchises involved -the Mumbai Indians and the Rajasthan Royals.

In his report Jaitley stated that Jadeja wanted to utilise this breach to his own advantage and seek a better bargain from other franchises in terms of a higher compensation for himself. A fact, he says, also admitted by Jadeja during the hearing.

“Jadeja committed a breach on two counts; firstly, by not signing the contract with the Rajasthan Royals for IPL 2010, wherein he wanted to declare himself free from contractual obligations and failed to discharge his obligations under the player trading rules,” Jaitley stated.

“Secondly, Jadeja’s meeting with Mumbai Indian representatives and sending his contract documents to them for inspection and his own admission that he received documents from the Mumbai Indians and used them for representation purposes to the governing council, reveal that he was guilty.”

Jaitley added that Jadeja acted on the premise that since he had failed to sign the contract, he was no longer a contracted player with Rajasthan Royals.

However, as per the guidelines, a player who is under a legal obligation to sign the contract for the third year, has to be regarded as a contracted player for the purpose of those rules.

A player under a legal obligation to be a contracted player does not cease to be a contracted player if he breaches his obligations.

The ban on Jadeja, however, is restricted to IPL and does not influence his selection for the national team.

Jaitley also warned the Mumbai Indians. He said Mumbai Indians were in active communication with Jadeja for obtaining a no objection from the IPL, which would have permitted him to play for them.

Jaitely said that if in future any franchise tried to make such an “approach” or an active “response to an approach”, a more deterrent line of action would be considered.