Organisers of the Indian Premier League scrambled on Monday to find an emergency venue for the lucrative cricket tournament after security fears forced them to abandon the event’s home nation.
England and South Africa are regarded as the front-runners to host the IPL’s glitzy Twenty20 games from April 10 to May 24, although the United Arab Emirates and Sri Lanka are also being considered.
A decision is expected late Monday or Tuesday after hectic round-the-clock talks between IPL commissioner Lalit Modi and cricket authorities in the prospective countries.
With the 59-match extravaganza less than three weeks away, Modi and his team face a race against time to finalise the schedule and arrangements, described by one team official as a “logistical nightmare.”
The IPL, which was only founded last year, features Indian cricketers and the world’s top players in eight teams owned by Bollywood film stars and the country’s wealthiest businessmen.
But the Indian cricket board, which owns the IPL, moved the tournament abroad on Sunday after the government said it could not provide security at the same time as protecting general elections.
Modi said shifting the tournament was a “painful decision”, but that he was determined to secure a suitable alternative.
All four prospective host nations will not have a problem adjusting to the IPL’s diktat that matches start at 4:00 pm and 8:00 pm Indian time to suit the country’s huge cricket-mad television population.
But slotting in all 59 matches before May 24 to allow international teams to prepare for the World Twenty20 championships in England from June 5 will not be so easy.
Australia’s tour of South Africa does not end until April 17 — a week after the IPL’s scheduled April 10 opening — and the UAE is hosting a one-day series between Australia and Pakistan from April 22 to May 7.
In England, the IPL will clash with the domestic county programme as well as two Tests and three one-dayers against the West Indies, ending just a few days before the World Twenty20.
Sri Lanka, which has three international venues in Colombo alone, is a nearer alternative but also has security worries because of the ongoing conflict against Tamil Tiger rebels.
“It’s a logistical nightmare, but the IPL will find a way. They always do,” Delhi Daredevils’ Amrit Mathur, who runs the franchise, told AFP.
Mathur admitted however that the tournament’s aim to develop club loyalties among fans would be affected.
“Only for a year though,” he said. “The IPL will be back in India next year. These are exceptional circumstances, but I am sure it will be a great tournament wherever it is played.”
“The show must go on,” said liquor and airline tycoon Vijay Mallya, owner of Bangalore Royal Challengers. “I can’t wait for the IPL to start.”
Source – google.com
