IPL won't be held in India

[Redline]

IPL will be staged outside India

Next month's Indian Premier League will be held outside the country after organisers failed to secure government approval for the matches to go ahead.

The tournament clashes with the upcoming Indian general election, prompting fears over security.

England, South Africa and Dubai are all potential alternative hosts.

"We have to move the event because of existing conditions," said Indian board president Shasank Manohar. "The venue will be decided soon."

Manohar said that all efforts had been made to stage the event in India but this had proved impossible and that discussions are underway with a number of other countries as potential hosts of the tournament.

"We made the best of our endeavours to stage the event in India," said Manohar. "We're in discussion with some foreign cricket boards who have shown interest."

South Africa has been suggested as the early favourite to stage the event but England is also thought to be in the running.

We have to move the event because of existing conditions

Cricket South Africa have announced in a statement that they have been approached by the BCCI.

"We received an official approach this morning to be one of several options they are considering to host the tournament outside India," commented Cricket South Africa CEO Gerald Majola. "We do not know what the other options are and it is not for us to comment on that.

"At this stage we are looking forward to holding discussions with IPL officials to discuss the proposal in detail."

The IPL is scheduled to be held from April 10 to May 24, with the elections for the Indian Parliament's lower house taking place across the country in five different phases between April 16 and May 13.

Two proposed itineraries were made to India's federal Home Ministry by IPL organizers but both were rejected as the chief ministers of Maharashtra and Andra Pradesh refused to allow the tournament to take place alongside the elections.

Despite previous denials from IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi that the tournament could be moved out of the country, the decision of the two states forced the hand of the BCCI.

Concerns about security have been heightened after the recent attacks on the Sri Lankan cricket team in the Pakistani city of Lahore at the beginning of March

So the INDIAN Premier League is not going to be held in INDIA. lol. I can understand why they're not holding it in India though with all the stuff that's been gong on there. But India is the moneytree for cricket these days. They live and breathe the sport.

Of the three options they listed, South Africa, England and Dubai, Dubai makes no sense as they have no ties to the sport, South Africa and England though...well I suppose it could go either way.

 

[FFC Mariner]

I'd say as Dubai is packed with Indian and Pakistani workers and expat Poms, logical choice. timezones work too

 

[dibo]

my sister's travelling solo in india at the moment.

*whistles*

 

[Redline]

Brave.

 

[clarence]

IPL won't be held in India?

And the organisers expect the SA cricket administrators to open up their grounds for them!

The IPL is basically a rebel comp. financed by sources and sponsors not attached to the Indian Cricket Board except for the final imprimatur.

If it is too risky to hold within India as per original plans, then I doubt there'd be any Cricket Association of any other country prepared to help them out. They've been taking players from all over the world, offering them insane contracts to compete in this short comp. and in turn that has been an agitation to the said other countries' Associations.

Unless Dubai or some other country nearby wants to take the plunge and get involved with the IPL and probably charge a kings' ransom for the use of the grounds, I can't see the IPL going any further.

 

[tuftman]

IPL won't be held in India?

And the organisers expect the SA cricket administrators to open up their grounds for them!

The IPL is basically a rebel comp. financed by sources and sponsors not attached to the Indian Cricket Board except for the final imprimatur.

If it is too risky to hold within India as per original plans, then I doubt there'd be any Cricket Association of any other country prepared to help them out. They've been taking players from all over the world, offering them insane contracts to compete in this short comp. and in turn that has been an agitation to the said other countries' Associations.

Unless Dubai or some other country nearby wants to take the plunge and get involved with the IPL and probably charge a kings' ransom for the use of the grounds, I can't see the IPL going any further.

The IPL was created by the Board of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI), so its not the rebel comp.  The Indian Champions League however, is a rebel comeptition as it isn't the brainchild of the BCCI. Players who play in the ICL are now pretty much have their cards stamped as "never to play International Cricket again"

Dubai makes the most sense because of the timezone, but also it allows cricket to be opened up to that part of the world with the entertainment showcase that is the IPL

 

[marinermick]

Brave.

not really - india is actually quite safe

it is only in the north west where problems occur, and even with the mumbai incidences, you are are less likely to have problems than in some major cities in europe or the US