Mumbai, April 23 (IANS) The Indian Premier League (IPL) should not be banned despite the controversies surrounding it, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray said Friday.

"Such scams will happen in any field, be it politics or cricket," said Thackeray, referring to financial irregularities being probed in the purchase of IPL franchises.

"A lot of talented players have got a chance to showcase their skills on this platform. Putting a ban on IPL is surely not the solution," he added.

Thackeray, however, slammed Sharad Pawar, the agriculture minister and a key functionary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), for not taking responsibility for the mess.

"Pawar should not be saying he is unaware of the scam," he said. "For example, a railway minister will be answerable to the public in case of a rail tragedy. So is the case with Pawar."

However, referring to the IPL chief, Thackeray asked: "Why should Lalit Modi be dictating terms?"