They say sports and politics shouldn’t mix. It is a toxic combination. In India they have taken it to another level. Pure poison. The current government has been visibly on the back foot ever since a nexus has been shown between former IPL boss Lalit Modi presently stuck in the UK and the Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj.

The core issue is a bit of a muchness and more a media adventure in righteous sleaze than anything indictable. It centers around a rather weak request by the foreign minister to the United Kingdom’s immigration authorities to aid Modi in travelling abroad. Since most people have a very foggy idea of what exactly the fuss is all about it seems the right time to put down a few bullet points especially since it is now an international incident that’s only just begun.

l Lalit purportedly asked Sushma Swaraj to recommend he be allowed by the British authorities to go across to Portugal to be with his wife who is suffering from cancer. Since the Modis have known her family and all that the minister dispatched a sort of wishy washy request on humanitarian grounds through British MP Keith Vaz (Indian origin) to be passed on to Sarah Rapson, head of the UK Immigration Department.

l It wasn’t such a major indiscretion and the British took little official notice of it, going as they are wont to, by their own yardstick. What made it explosive was the fact that Lalit Modi had been charged with financial impropriety, had his passport impounded and was under investigation for misappropriation when Sushma went into good deed mode.

l The charges against him were based on the BCCI’s 134-page inhouse report that made eight allegations most of them relatively undergrad in texture and more predicated to the hostility between Modi and the BCCI led by N.Srinivasa than to any great act of daylight robbery.

l What has added to the mess is the fact that Swaraj’s daughter was part of the legal team defending Modi. As the Ninth Seat she was probably bringing in the coffee and doing the scut work but it is another link to be exploited.

l Still not found guilty on any count Modi’s rocky relationship with Arun Jaitley (presently minister for finance and a member of the BCCI tribunal that accused Modi) has sort of gunned him down with a barrage of adverse publicity. You infer guilt and the individual becomes guilty in the eyes of the public.

l This has placed Modi square in the cross hairs of the Enforcement Department for a slew of economic indiscretions.

l Now, Interpol has a red notice planned for him which seems excessive since those who need to know are well aware he is in London.

And while most folks in such a predicament would got into semi hiding at least, Lalit Modi is thundering about quixotically creating new battlefields. Not only did he announce that there was a mega-plan to take on the ICC with a rival global body for cricket but has recently issued warning that this multi-billion pound will happen with or without him.

His argument is that there are enough disenchanted players and sponsors who want a viable option to the ICC stranglehold. This sort of grandstanding is consistent with his reputation since one of the eight charges is that he was attempting to start a competitive league with English clubs in 2010.

Much in the same vein as he needles the BCCI mandarins with barbs fired from exile Modi makes great copy and is willing to talk to anyone who will listen. For the sake of argument the BCCI is a private body and is not necessarily representative of the Indian cricket team. The fact that no one challenges it has made this cash rich body the de facto custodian of the game in India. Legally, nothing stops someone else from taking it on and legally creating an alternative.

Truth be told while Modi might have a little fun at the expense of his adversaries the noose is tightening and the odds that he will have no room left to manoeuvre are improving. His enemies have guns that are far too big for the individual and being a colorful character is not defense enough when the taxman cometh.