update
South Africa could host next Indian Premier League
South Africa could end up hosting next year's IPL if the cash-rich T20 tournament is taken out of India due to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. BCCI mandarins have informally discussed alternative venues, but a clear picture will emerge once the election dates are announced, board insiders told TOI. The IPL's calendar in April-May next year is likely to clash with the poll schedule.
In the backdrop of the current impasse between BCCI and Cricket South Africa CEO Haroon Lorgat, it's a move which seems contradictory. But sources said South Africa's chances of hosting the IPL are quite good if the board needs an off-shore venue. "The Lorgat issue is there but SA still are hot favourites. The new IPL chairman will also have a vote," a top BCCI official told TOI on Tuesday.
According to sources, the new IPL governing council team will take a fresh look on the issue after the September 29th BCCI AGM. On the face of it, BCCI officials maintain "it's too early to speculate on the possible venues", but some of the top functionaries insisted that if the tournament goes out of the country, South Africa will be the top choice.
"That is because it's a tried and tested location," said a BCCI official. However, the board will still try its best to hold the championship in India.
"We will cross that bridge when we will come to it. Nothing has been decided as yet, but if at all it moves out of the country, it will be staged in South Africa," a top BCCI official said. When asked to explain about the Lorgat issue, the official said: "We will sort that out as well."
South Africa hosted the 2009 IPL as the government declined permission in view of the security requirement for the general elections. The venue had posed a logistical challenge for the board as the decision to shift the venue was taken in the eleventh hour.
Sources said that Sri Lanka and Malaysia have also been discussed as possible hosts but only to host a few matches. But the primary concern is again logistics. England is not much in consideration because of its cold climate.
Then there is this concern that if the league is staged in a relatively smaller country, the revenue stream could be affected. "Only if some of the matches clashing with the general elections need to be relocated, Lanka can be explored.
But again, it will be a huge logistical challenge. If you can stage the entire league in one country, it's only going to help," said the official.
උන්ගෙ තියෙන්නෙ එක international stadium එකයි .ඒකෙ තියන ඔක්කොම pitches උනත් මුලු තරඟාවලියටම පාවිච්චි කරොත් Deteriorate වෙලා යන්න පුලුවන්
