South Africa has edged out England to be named host nation of the 2009 IPL. The decision was made after a meeting between the IPL commissioner, Lalit Modi, and the Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief executive, Gerald Majola, in Johannesburg on Tuesday. The IPL also announced that a final schedule for the 59 matches and the host venues for the eight franchises will be released shortly.

Cricinfo understands that the IPL’s opening ceremony will be held in Cape Town, and that the defending champions Rajasthan Royals will play the first game. The tournament will commence on April 18, a week later than initially scheduled, and a day after the one-day series between South Africa and Australia ends. Sources said Johannesburg, Durban, Centurion, Port Elizabeth, East London and Cape Town would be the host venues.

However, it’s understood that negotiations between the two boards were not as smooth as it was initially expected with England remaining in contention as an active alternative for hosting the IPL during most of Tuesday afternoon’s meeting.

South Africa had been considered the favourite to host the IPL’s second season after IPL officials voiced concerns over the effect England’s springtime weather might have on the tournament. England also faced issues in the form of cost, scheduling and the likelihood of conflict between television rights holders. South Africa’s chances were further boosted after the country’s government got actively involved in wooing the IPL, throwing in assurances on security and speedy clearance of visas for players and officials.

“A lot of factors were considered by us while evaluating the final choice for the host venue,” N Srinivasan, secretary of the Indian board, said. “However, in the final analysis I think it was the South African weather, which prevailed and tilted the balance in favour of the Rainbow Nation.”

David Collier, the ECB chief executive, said he understood the hurdles that would have had to be cleared to stage the tournament in England. “We all recognised the difficulties and logistical issues involved in areas such as security when the G20 is meeting in the UK next week and the climatic challenges,” he said.

In the event, the IPL’s decision to move to South Africa has been greeted with relief by the league’s franchises and players. Muttiah Muralitharan, who plays for Chennai Super Kings, said it was the right decision for the league because “the game must go on, else cricket would die”. Vijay Mallya, the owner of Royal Challengers Bangalore, said that though he would have preferred England, the weather had proved a decisive factor. “To be honest, I would have preferred England to South Africa,” Mallya said. “You could have taken one good flight from 5-6 places in India to England and it would have been cheaper. Besides, an average Englishman loves his cricket. The stands there would have been full of crowd. I guess weather conditions clinched the issue for South Africa. In England, there were chances that matches would have been rained off. Both teams sharing the point affects the competitiveness of the event.”

There had been much speculation as to where the IPL’s second season would be based after Cricinfo identified South Africa as a possible destination last Friday. Senior officials from the IPL and CSA denied the report at the time, but had since been locked in intense discussions to finalise the unprecedented switch.

With the decision now made, the real work begins. Security arrangements – which forced the tournament out of India – will need to be arranged, and an estimated 400 players and officials will require visas and accommodation. In all, 59 matches will be held over a five-week period ending on May 24.

With time of the essence, logistical issues delayed the opportunity for a considered response from the ECB, whose chairman, Giles Clarke, and Collier, had been on opposite sides of the world in Australia and Guyana respectively, when contacted by IPL officials on Saturday. The pair reconvened for the first time at Lord’s on Tuesday morning, by which stage discussions with CSA were well underway.

“It is very important for world cricket that this tournament is staged, but ultimately it is a matter for the BCCI where it is staged,” Clarke told Cricinfo hours before the IPL decided on South Africa. “We’re happy to help, but if it’s not staged here, we’ve got a great deal to do this season anyway. That is how we see it. It is not a competitive situation from our point of view, at all. It can be staged here, the government is keen support it, but the most important thing is that this tournament goes ahead, wherever it is staged.”

England had initially emerged as the preferred venue to host the tournament after a powerful lobby within the BCCI and the Indian team management felt that such a move would help in preparing for the World Twenty20 in June.
Source – content.cricinfo.com

Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar on Tuesday said he would like to play for Kolkata Knight Riders if the Pakistani cricketers are allowed to play in the second edition of the Indian Premier League.

“I still harbour hopes of playing in the Indian Premier League as it has now been shifted out of India. It is very disappointing that the IPL is shifted out of India because there are very few places which can match the glamour of India as a cricket venue,” Shoaib told cricketnirvana.com.Shoaib drew a huge fan following while playing for the KKR in the inaugural edition but a knee injury curtailed his first stint but not before he played a winning role against Delhi Daredevils.

This time around Shoaib is fitter as he gears up to face Australia at United Arab Emirates.

“I am fitter than before. The knee has responded well to the treatment and I am getting back into rhythm in the National one-day Cup,” Shoaib who was visibly upset last week after his father underwent a major bypass operation.

“I was very upset. I love my father and mother so I cannot see them on the hospital bed. My Abba (Father) had to undergo a major bypass operation and I was with him all the time in the hospital. In fact I got the news of the IPL shift in the hospital,” said Shoaib.

On the chances of Pakistani playing in the IPL II, Shoaib said that it will all depend on the franchises.

“If the franchises want then all the Pakistani players can feature in the event. Pakistani players have that charisma to attract crowds. We were loved by Indian fans and although the 26-11 incidents hit our relations badly, I feel things are coming back to normal.”

“I have talked to some of the players and they are willing. It all depends on the IPL. This is one of the most popular event and all of us would love to play in it,” he added.
Source – cricketnirvana.com

IPL franchisee owners are turning to the Board of Control for Cricket in India to deal with commercial issues as potential loss looms large following the shifting of the Twenty20 cricket tournament out of the country.

“At present, we are focusing on the cricketing aspect of it. IPL has assured us that they would take care of the commercial issues,” said Delhi Daredevils CEO Amrit Mathur.

While Mathur did not give details of the possible loss the team may incur due to change in the venue, he said it is working out with the sponsors.

“Our sponsors are very much with us. We have a very enduring relationship with them. But we don’t know how much impact it would have financially,” he said.

Hero Honda, one of the sponsors of the tournament and also a partner of Delhi Daredevils, said IPL moving out of India would result in missing opportunities for companies to leverage on their brands.

“IPL moving out of India this year is likely to restrict opportunities to leverage our brand association, but it is commendable that IPL is going to take place despite several constraints … but I strongly feel that no matter what, the show must go on. We remain committed to IPL and Delhi Daredevils,” Hero Honda Motors Managing Director and CEO Pawan Munjal said.
Source – cricket.expressindia.com

SOUTH Africa has raised the stakes in its bid to host the Indian Premier League’s second tournament, promising hotel and ground discounts, priority visa processing for the teams and weather of which the English can only dream.

Despite earlier indicating that England was the favoured alternative venue for the glamorous Twenty20 series, IPL chairman Lalit Modi appeared yesterday to have switched preferences following a day of intensive lobbying by Cricket South Africa and the South African Government.

The IPL announced late on Sunday that it was shifting the series offshore because the Indian Government could not guarantee security for the April 10 to May 24 event, which clashes with the staging of the month-long national elections.

With just 15 days until its scheduled start, a decision on the new host venue is expected to be announced today.

Before heading to meet first with South Africa and then England cricket officials yesterday, Modi said the changeable English weather during April and May, combined with a clash of events there, could complicate the plan to host the IPL tournament.

“Weather is a problem,” he said. “There is 70 per cent chance of the games being disrupted by rain. The IPL will also be clashing with the London marathon and a number of Test matches, which will be blocking hotel rooms.”

Earlier, however, he told Indian news channel CNN-IBN: “I don’t think you should be looking at weather as an issue. In India, we play cricket in November, December, January when it is also very, very cold.”

He added that the IPL “would bring $100 million of revenue to the British economy. Anybody in a recession would want to have us.”

Last year’s inaugural tournament in India generated $US900m ($1.3 billion) in television rights alone. On top of television earnings, England boasts one of the world’s largest Indian diasporas, guaranteeing good crowds and gate-takings for the high-dollar tournament.

But British police warned yesterday that they may not have enough time to ensure adequate security for the event and have criticised the England and Wales Cricket Board for not consulting security agencies before declaring its readiness to stage the IPL.

“Frankly, they’ve been getting a bit ahead of themselves,” one security official said. “There is a lot more work to be done before people are confident about the logistics and the security issues.”

British police already have their hands full next month as the country hosts the G20 summit of world leaders, the FA Cup soccer semi-finals and the London marathon.

South Africa’s domestic cricket season is due to end the day before the IPL is scheduled start, while in England, the IPL would clash with the county program and its home series against the West Indies.

South African broadcaster Supersport also owns the rights to both the IPL and any international matches. In Britain, Sky has exclusive rights for England internationals and would not welcome competition from IPL rights broadcaster Setanta if the series were played in parallel.

As well, the cost of shifting the IPL to South Africa is likely to be significantly cheaper than playing in England.

The South African Government is understood to have promised to rush through more than 1000 visas for the eight teams in time for the event and the country’s tourism board has also lent its support to the bid.

But Cricket South Africa chief executive Gerald Majola refused to speculate on his country’s chances of hosting the venue before the overnight (AEDT) meeting with Modi.

“Until I meet with Mr Modi and BCCI officials and know exactly what they want and how they think this should proceed, then I cannot say where we stand,” he told the Cricinfo website.

A BCCI official told The Australian yesterday that England was still the board’s preferred option and that talk of poor weather and a clash of schedules was designed to squeeze a better deal out of the ECB.

“In my view, nothing has changed except that they’re now playing hard ball,” the official said.
Source – theaustralian.news.com.au

In a swift turnaround, South Africa has overtaken England as the preferred venue to host the IPL next month. Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman, was flying to South Africa on Monday night to meet with senior officials of the South African government and an announcement is expected on Tuesday.

Weather turned out to be the principal factor that swayed the BCCI officials, a bulk of whom had been in favour of England until Monday morning when the realisation occurred that rain could seriously affect “as many as 70% of the matches” in the Twenty20 tournament, which runs from April 10 to May 24.

In England, concerns have been voiced by senior police officers about the practicalities of arranging sufficient security for such a high-profile event. The IPL clashes with the London Marathon and the FA Cup semi-finals and final, among other events, while the G20 summit reaches a conclusion in the week before the tournament is due to start. “Frankly they’ve been getting a bit ahead of themselves,” one senior figure told the Times.

Another reason for England’s chances receding is the assurance from top officials within the South African government and Cricket South Africa that the IPL will receive the full red carpet treatment, well-placed sources told Cricinfo.

“The weather in South Africa seems to have become the deciding factor,” the sources said. “Besides, South Africa is working out to be a much cheaper option. The South African government’s interest in hosting the event is a major factor, too.” However, Modi is also scheduled to visit London before a final decision is taken.

According to a report in the Guardian, the South African government has already responded positively to a query from CSA whether over a 1000 visas for the tournament can be processed well within the usual 10-day period.

South Africa is also considered a better option when it comes to TV timings in comparison to England. For instance, the IPL wants to start its first match of the day at 4 pm IST, which would mean a 11.30 am start in England. In South Africa it would be a 12.30 pm start. The TV rights scenario is also less complicated in South Africa as Supersport owns the rights both for the IPL and for international cricket played in the country. Additionally, the cost of running the tournament in South Africa would be substantially less than in England. And the fact that the South African domestic season concludes a day before the IPL’s scheduled start date should lead to less logistical problems than in England, where the county season will be just underway.

Modi and Gerald Majola, the CSA chief executive, are known to have a strong personal relationship, especially since the two boards became founding partners of the Twenty20 Champions League last year. It is believed that such a rapport would prove crucial in organising a tournament of this magnitude at such short notice. “This gives both the boards a lot of room for negotiations, adjustments and quick decisions, something that may not be possible with the ECB, which has to go by its board for almost every decision,” the sources said.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) summoned their provinces to a teleconference on Monday afternoon, where they were updated on the latest IPL developments. “We have been told to expect a decision by Wednesday morning,” said a South African provincial official with knowledge of the conference call. “We have had some early discussions about what we might need to do to prepare for this, but as far as we are aware, no final decisions have been made.”

Majola spoke cautiously on Monday evening when asked to assess South Africa’s chances of hosting the IPL’s second season. “Until I meet with Mr Modi and BCCI officials and know exactly what they want and how they think this should proceed, then I cannot say where we stand,” Majola told Cricinfo. “It has been strangely quiet since we were first asked by officials from the BCCI and IPL whether we can assist them, and to the best of my knowledge we remain just one of the options out there. We are interested in assisting, but we have not heard anything further.”

Manoj Badale, co-owner of IPL’s Rajasthan Royals, said he considered South Africa a likely venue. “Certainly based on the conversations I’ve had, if it [IPL] goes outside India, you’d have to suggest South Africa is the likeliest venue,” Badale told BBC Sport.

Shaun Pollock, the former South African captain and current advisor to the Mumbai Indians, said he would be open to serving as a conduit between his IPL franchise and the KwaZulu-Natal board if approached. Pollock is currently in Durban with eight members of the Mumbai squad for a pre-season training camp.

“I would love the Mumbai Indians to come to Durban,” Pollock told Cricinfo. “But, having said that, I don’t know who will decide which franchise goes where, or even if (the IPL) will come here. It’s hard to know at the moment. One person tells you it’s 60-40 in South Africa’s favour and another tells you it’s 60-40 to England. But if it were to come here, I would be happy to help Mumbai if they were interested in basing themselves in my home area and conditions.”

As of Sunday evening, England had emerged as the preferred venue to host the tournament after a powerful lobby within the BCCI and the Indian team management felt that such a move would help in preparing for the World Twenty20 in June.

However, that decision was almost entirely dependent on the ECB overcoming considerable obstacles related to costs and logistics and the approval of its stakeholders, including the counties, many of whom fear that their domestic schedule will be affected by the IPL.

Apparently, there is also a certain amount of concern at the ICC level about the state of venues in England for the World Twenty20 starting on June 5. The IPL will run until May 24 alongside the English domestic season starting in April and the West Indies Test series in May. “It’s the beginning of the season in England and Wales and there is a lot of Twenty20 cricket being played including the ICC World Twenty20,” David Morgan, the ICC president, told BBC Radio 5 Live. “I do think there will be great difficulties in relocating it.”
Source – content.cricinfo.com