'You are most sweet'
Lalit Modi said, and had said about him, some of the most bizarre things. Here's a sample
What they said about Lalit Modi
"He is Moses of the game who has shown the path to blazing success."Ravi Shastri brings out an original metaphor
"Modi is doing an excellent job as IPL commissioner and chairman. He is appointed by the general body till 2012, and there is no reason and no power or authority with either of us to remove him."
In December 2009, Shashank Manohar, the then BCCI president, was pleased with Modi's work, and couldn't imagine shortening his term
"I'm going to play and there's nothing anyone can do to stop me."
Stuart Law wishes to defy Modi's - and thereby the cricketing world's - refusal to allow former ICL players in official cricket
"$1 billion ... you are nuts my friend ... completely, absolutely mad and wonderful."
Shah Rukh Khan tweets of Modi, in response to one of the clauses in the IPL tender to bid for new franchises, in March 2010
"[Lalit Modi] obviously wants IPL to be the best and the most special thing in cricket. But to get that you have to look after your cattle, you can't just keep driving and whipping them."
Andrew Symonds thought Modi the IPL chairman needed help in figuring out how to keep players fresh
"The media has been ready with the guillotine to hang the hero of the IPL."
IS Bindra, the ICC's chief adviser, believes Modi has always been a martyr
"I remember him saying to Modi, 'I'm worth X amount of dollars'. Modi laughed at him."
Matthew Hayden, in his autobiography, writes of a conversation between Michael Clarke and Modi about playing in the IPL and how the then chairman was dismissive of excessive demands
"It is like a sugar-free candy bar. Because it does the same thing. It tastes the same. But then there is always that one thing that's missing."
Siddharth Mallya's answer when asked by a TV channel to describe the IPL without Modi
"Thanks. You are most sweet. Srini."
N Srinivasan's responds to a to a leaked email from Modi that informed him of the alleged rigging of the bids for Andrew Flintoff in the 2009 auction
"I do not give credibility to what Modi says."
Fast forward to 2013, and N Srinivasan doesn't share Manohar's opinion
What Modi said
"If they want to talk about their life, they can, but not cricket."After introducing the idea of the "media gag" on Indian players
"We are a very safe country. You are sitting here, I am sitting here, we all are sitting here ... we are not Pakistan."
Reassuring others about the security situation in India in 2009
"FIFA has been working here for eight years, we have been here for 22 days."
During the IPL in South Africa, taking a dig at FIFA's apparent struggle to organise the Confederations Cup in South Africa in June
"I see the IPL becoming bigger than the NFL, the NBA, the English Premier League."
Being generally upbeat about life
"Touched by the solidarity on the streets of Monaco. Touched by the solidarity for IPL. One day F1 too will have IPL following."
In a moment of clarity
"What a nightmare to convince them not to terminate [Sohail] tanveer and also not to take flintoff. Warne went of [sic] the handle. But have managed it by using stick and carrot strategy. Thus they have [$]1.875 [million] only. Much love Lalit."
Sending much love and, apparently, desired players N Srinivasan's way
"Even in the trial of terrorists, witnesses are produced during the course of the trial - only in rare cases - with a changed identity."
His way of asking for a fair trial when showcaused by the BCCI
"Too busy counting the money I made for them."
In April 2013, responding to whether the BCCI still cared about him
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