Confusion reigned on Thursday, with TV channels stating that the second Indian Premier League was off as the government wouldn’t provide security. Even as industry began counting losses, IPL officials denied the development.

Tournament director Dhiraj Malhotra told Hindustan Times the TV reports were “untrue”. “We have been working on the revised schedule. As far as we are concerned, the tournament is on. ”

The Ministry of Home Affairs said the Centre would not object if state governments took on the onus of making security arrangements from their own resources. It would, however, be a problem if the states needed central forces, a home ministry official said, saying the MHA could not divert forces from the election process.

The home ministry also said the government was yet to hear from the states on the matter. However some states have made their priorities clear. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Karunanidhi told reporters: “It is better to put on hold these matches than to regret later even if there is one untoward incident.”

Meanwhile, IPl chairman Lalit Modi emailed team owners, saying a revised schedule with the MHA and local administrations was being worked out.
Source:hindustantimes.com

Just when it seemed that the IPL had got a lifeline and a fighting chance at being held on time, there is a new obstacle.

The sources in the Home Ministry have now said that it will base its final decision about holding the IPL on “an overall security assessment” and on the fact that how many states are willing to handle security arrangements on their own because after the Lahore attack, security is the big concern for the Centre.

On Thursday, claiming that state security was enough, the ministry forwarded a BCCI letter to the top police officials of the states asking if they could provide security.

Sources said that the whole controversy took a new turn when some states asked the Centre for troops. And that is the tricky part.

The Home Minister had already made it clear that he can’t pull out any of the 75,000 troops from election duty or any others from the Pakistan and Bangladesh borders.

The IPL stakeholders and even the BCCI argue that they don’t need permission from the Centre and they are willing to reschedule some match dates but have refused to postpone the tournament till after the elections.

Some states like Punjab have said that they can provide security to IPL matches but only if they don’t give their personnel to the Centre for election duty. Thus, that may not be an option.

However, West Bengal has said that even the re-scheduled matches aren’t acceptable.

So, the Centre now has to take the final decision whether India’s biggest cricket tournament can be safely held along with the biggest political event, the general elections
Source:ndtv.com

IS Bindra, a member of the IPL governing council, has ruled out the possibility of moving this year’s Twenty20 extravaganza so it does not clash with India’s general elections in April. Bindra said the IPL would work with the government to find a way to host the tournament, but if that was not possible it would have to be cancelled.

“If the state administrations tell us they cannot handle the security, there is no way we can go ahead,” Bindra, who is also the ICC’s principal adviser, told the Hindustan Times. “But I’m sure it won’t come to that.”

The Indian government has expressed concerns over providing adequate security for the IPL since forces will have to be mobilised for the elections as well. A senior government official told Cricinfo that conducting the IPL during the country’s general elections presented a “near impossible situation” for security forces.

Bindra said the IPL would be advised on security matters by South African security consultants Nicholls, Steyn & Associates, who were brought in after the Jaipur blasts during last summer’s tournament. “We implemented their suggestion that control rooms, normally located in basements in Indian stadiums, were moved to places from where security supervisors could have a complete view of the grounds. It’s a detail that makes matters more foolproof.

“What they do is advise us on formulations and the overall security plan. Like whether a particular hotel is secure, how to best protect the teams etc.”

Bindra said the governing council had felt the security template for the Chennai and Mohali Tests between England and India, following the Mumbai terror attack, was very good. However those who have to provide the security aren’t too confident about it.

Kolkata police commissioner Gautam Chakraborty said he had requested the city’s IPL franchise to change the dates of matches during the polls. “All political parties will be doing their poll campaigning during that time,” Chakraborty said in the Kolkata-based Telegraph. “Then the Knight Riders match on May 13 clashes with Kolkata polling day. Also, there are two matches in between April 30 and May 7. It doesn’t matter that polls on these days will be conducted outside Kolkata. City police personnel are also deployed in the districts during polls.

“After the Lahore incident, we cannot take any chances. There will be multi-layered security checks. We are also trying to convince the concerned authority to sell match tickets online to avoid scuffles outside the ticket counters.”

Ardhendu Sen, the state’s home secretary, said holding IPL matches on the days of the polls was out of the question. “As far as security arrangements for matches on other days, it would be up to the police commissioner to decide,” Sen said.
Source:cricinfo.com

Source: Rediff.com

Two rival leagues in India are better than one for cricket.

Unless you spent the last 48 hours under a rock on Mars, you would be aware of the hoopla over the second season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) defying the economic slowdown.

Umpire’s Post would like to point out that the tournament that actually started the Twenty20 phenomenon in India has already completed two seasons; Lahore Badshahs rode on Imran Nazir’s unbeaten swashbuckling 44-ball 111 to rout Hyderabad Heroes by eight wickets in the high-voltage third final to lift the second edition of the Indian Cricket League Championship trophy in Ahmedabad on November 16.

Back then, you may not have been under a rock anywhere and still missed the events of ICL. With the Board of Control for Cricket in India, or BCCI, and all the gold in its coffers, ensuring that ICL’s status is worse than a pariah’s, it was possible.

Clearly, IPL has demolished, banished, vanquished and pulverised ICL (all the superfluous adjectives are meant to satiate the death wish of the BCCI bosses). Clearly, there is nothing to fear. So, how about some old-fashioned victor’s magnanimity?

That third final mentioned earlier was electric, and Nazir’s batting stupefying. Besides, it was good cricket played by largely well-meaning human beings. ICL, bankrolled by Zee Networks chief Subhash Chandra, has not been lacking in the quality of cricket. Its only fault is that Chandra has dared to take cricket in India beyond BCCI’s tentacles and he has been at loggerheads with BCCI for not getting the broadcast rights despite bidding more than the others.

But BCCI has been entrenched for over 75 years, boasts of the best international and domestic players of the country, and several tournaments. It is the world’s richest sports body and has broadcasters and advertisers eating out of its hands. On Friday, it generated enough signals that the money-spinning IPL continues to ride the gravy train.

Its vehement opposition to ICL reeks of needless insecurity. The board, which once argued in court that the Indian team was actually a BCCI XI and not the national team, is going the way of all monopolies in trying to snuff out the first hint of competition.

ICL may or may not serve Indian cricket. But it can definitely serve cricketers, especially the domestic journeymen, who are good players but will never represent India for a variety of reasons, one of them being BCCI’s wayward ways. It is also a boon for international players who have recently retired, or who play for countries where cricket is not a money spinner.

There is one more compelling argument: Shane Bond. One of the fastest bowlers, with the cleanest action, and scourge of Australia, is on the sidelines for being a part of ICL.

Source:Rediff and business-standard.com