England 'may host IPL tournament'
BCCI announces IPL to be staged outside India due to security fears
Also In The News
|
Liverpool have thumped Aston Villa 5-0 at Anfield to close the gap on Premier League leaders Manchester United. |  |
Monday, 23, Mar 2009 10:04
England cricket chiefs are considering hosting the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament.
The Twenty20 tournament will not be played in India next month as the government has refused to allow central security forces for the event as it clashes with the general elections.
Because of India's international schedule after the IPL season - including the Twenty20 World Cup in England in June - there is little scope for moving the competition to alternative dates.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has met with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) about staging the six-week tournament in England. Further meetings will be held this week.
South Africa and the United Arab Emirates have also emerged as contenders to stage the IPL, which runs from April 10th to May 24th.
ECB chairman Giles Clarke said his organisation is willing to help the BCCI.
"We have a very good relationship with the BCCI if they need any help on matters," he told the BBC.
"We normally talk to them a great deal and we would be delighted to help again."
A decision on the venue for the IPL will be taken "in the next 24 hours," according to Rajasthan Royals chief executive Manoj Badale.
The tournament has been under threat since gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan team bus last month in Lahore, during the Test series against Pakistan.
The BCCI's honorary secretary N Srinivasan has said he has little choice in switching the location of the tournament to another country.
In an open letter from the BCCI, Srinivasan said the financial rewards of staging the competition prevented a shortened version of the competition this year to incorporate the election dates.
"The BCCI is not in a position to either play a truncated IPL or to cancel the second edition of the IPL," he said.
"It is a matter of great regret that, in the prevailing atmosphere, where the government is expressing concern for providing security to the IPL matches, the BCCI is left with no other option but to conduct the Indian Premier League in another country."
The letter continued: "It is pertinent to understand that within the present international calendar of events, there is no other window for IPL to be played during this year.
"Under the given circumstances, there is no other period for the conduct of IPL matches."