AFTER WEEKS of lobbying to
browbeat the government, the
Indian Premier League took
the logical option of moving
its second season out of the
country .
The Hindustan Times had
reported on Sunday that the
IPL had decided to shift base
out of India.
The decision to move the T20
tournament was taken at an
emergency meeting of the
BCCI working committee in
Mumbai.
The firming up of the new
venue is expected on Monday ,
with South Africa and England
emerging as the two frontrunners.
After categorically denying
any contact with the IPL when
contacted by HT on Saturday ,
Cricket South Africa (CSA)
CEO Gerald Majola on Sunday
admitted to having been
approached by the BCCI. “We
received an official approach
to be one of several options
they are considering to host the
tournament outside India. At
this stage we are looking for
ward to holding discussions
with IPL officials,” Majola said.
The England and Wales
Cricket Board (ECB), too, welcomed the prospect of hosting
the tournament. In a statement
the ECB said it had a “very
good relationship with the
BCCI” and would be “delighted to help them again”.
Sources said IPL officials
were likely to fly out to England
on Monday to discuss the deal.
The two possible alternatives
are best suited on account of
the time difference vis-à-vis
India. IPL commissioner Lalit
Modi on Sunday made it clear
that all matches in the second
season, irrespective of the
venue, will start at 4pm and
8pm IST. That rider suits both England,
four and a half hours behind
India, when the IPL starts, as
well as South Africa, three and
a half behind.
The decision to move out was
pushed by Modi and the franchisee owners in the face of
calls from IPL members to scrap
the tournament and treat this
as a 'zero year'.
While the final decision was
taken on Sunday, sources tell
HT that Modi had tabled the
option of taking the IPL out to
SA a few weeks ago.
The option of England only
emerged at the insistence of
two big guns in the BCCI. Modi
will logically take the IPL to
the country that offers him the
best commercial viability and ,
in terms of visibility, that
would be England.
However, it will not be as
easy The ECB might be will .
ing to host the IPL and fill its
coffers in the aftermath of the
Allen Stanford debacle, but
they will have to work the dates
around the domestic county
season as well as the EnglandWI series. In SA, though, there
will be no such problems. The
domestic season there ends on
April 4, while the last South
Africa-Australia ODI is on
April 17. The IPL, will, in effect,
have 12 grounds. At the end of
the day however, the IPL will
,
head to shores where moneybags jangle the loudest.
arjun.sen@hindustantimes.com
AFTER WEEKS of lobbying to
browbeat the government, the
Indian Premier League took
the logical option of moving
its second season out of the
country .
The Hindustan Times had
reported on Sunday that the
IPL had decided to shift base
out of India.
The decision to move the T20
tournament was taken at an
emergency meeting of the
BCCI working committee in
Mumbai.
The firming up of the new
venue is expected on Monday ,
with South Africa and England
emerging as the two front-
runners.
After categorically denying
any contact with the IPL when
contacted by HT on Saturday ,
Cricket South Africa (CSA)
CEO Gerald Majola on Sunday
admitted to having been
approached by the BCCI. “We
received an official approach
to be one of several options
they are considering to host the
tournament outside India. At
this stage we are looking for-
ward to holding discussions
with IPL officials,” Majola said.
The England and Wales
Cricket Board (ECB), too, wel-
comed the prospect of hosting
the tournament. In a statement
the ECB said it had a “very
good relationship with the
BCCI” and would be “delight-
ed to help them again”.
Sources said IPL officials
were likely to fly out to England
on Monday to discuss the deal.
The two possible alternatives
are best suited on account of
the time difference vis-à-vis
India. IPL commissioner Lalit
Modi on Sunday made it clear
that all matches in the second
season, irrespective of the
venue, will start at 4pm and
8pm IST. That rider suits both England,
four and a half hours behind
India, when the IPL starts, as
well as South Africa, three and
a half behind.
The decision to move out was
pushed by Modi and the fran-
chisee owners in the face of
calls from IPL members to scrap
the tournament and treat this
as a 'zero year'.
While the final decision was
taken on Sunday, sources tell
HT that Modi had tabled the
option of taking the IPL out to
SA a few weeks ago.
The option of England only
emerged at the insistence of
two big guns in the BCCI. Modi
will logically take the IPL to
the country that offers him the
best commercial viability and ,
in terms of visibility, that
would be England.
However, it will not be as
easy The ECB might be will-
.
ing to host the IPL and fill its
coffers in the aftermath of the
Allen Stanford debacle, but
they will have to work the dates
around the domestic county
season as well as the England-
WI series. In SA, though, there
will be no such problems. The
domestic season there ends on
April 4, while the last South
Africa-Australia ODI is on
April 17. The IPL, will, in effect,
have 12 grounds. At the end of
the day however, the IPL will
,
head to shores where money-
bags jangle the loudest.
arjun.sen@hindustantimes.com