Indian Premier League – 2009 (IPL) to be Played Outside India
The BCCI , the Cricket board of India after an emergency meeting today decided to conduct the high profile and the richest competition in the world IPL Twenty20 Tournament outside India. England and South Africa have emerged as the front-runners to host the Indian Premier League (IPL). The venue and new schedule will be announced on Monday.
"Because of the attitude of the Indian government that they are not ready to spare security forces for the cricket tournament, we are forced to take the decision to move the event out of India," BCCI President Shashank Manohar told in a press conference.
"I apologise to the people of India for moving the tournament out," Manohar added.
The England Cricket Board said it had received a request from the BCCI and the IPL and was looking into the possibility of hosting the tournament in England. ECB chairman Giles Clarke has said that he was willing to help his Indian counterparts. "We normally talk to them a great deal and we would be delighted to help again," he said.
Gerald Majola, Cricket South Africa’s CEO, said that South Africa was ready and willing to host IPL if needed. He hoped to have "positive discussions" with Indian IPL officials in this regard over phone on Monday.
Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, who was present at the working committee meeting said there will be no changes made to IPL’s format or the schedule.
"Dates and timings of the matches will remain the same. The Indian audiences can watch the matches at 4 pm and 8 pm IST as they did in the inaugural season," he said.
Modi also said that there was no chance of the semi final or Final games being played in India.
"We explored all possibilities of moving the semi-finals and final to India," Modi said. "But it would have been too exhausting for the players. Players have to go back to England for the World Twenty20 (beginning on June 5)."
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