South Africa will host the second edition of the Indian Premier League after organizers moved the cricket competition out of India because of security concerns.
The five-week, 59-game event will start April 18, the IPL and Cricket South Africa, or CSA, said. South Africa was competing with the U.K. to host the tournament.
“The overwhelming reason that we chose South Africa was because of the weather conditions, which are a lot more favorable than in England,” IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi said yesterday at a press conference in Johannesburg.
The inaugural IPL, featuring the game’s shorter Twenty20 format, brought in $200 million last year, and organizers raised $1.8 billion from sponsors, television rights and franchise fees. The 2009 edition was moved after some Indian state governments questioned whether they could provide security for matches as India is holding its general election at the same time.
South Africa hosted the first Twenty20 World Cup in 2007 and convinced the IPL that its stadiums could handle the event and attract crowds.
“This is a great compliment to both CSA and our nation to be shown this confidence in our ability to hold one of the world’s top sporting events at short notice,” Gerald Majola, chief executive officer of Cricket South Africa, told reporters.
Lahore Attack
Almost 714 million Indians will vote between April 16 and May 13 to elect 543 representatives. The election forced the Board of Control for Cricket in India to move the tournament even though India’s home minister has said every game in India was safe.
Security came into question after a March 3 attack in Lahore, Pakistan, left six police officers and two civilians dead and five Sri Lankan cricketers and a coach injured. That attack came four months after a three-day battle with terrorists in Mumbai that killed 164 people.
The IPL has said the matches will be held at times that will allow broadcasts in India. About 99 percent of the audience watches the matches on television, Modi said.
“We expect enough crowds in South Africa to support the matches,” said Narendra Joshi, the media manager of Rajasthan Royals, who won the inaugural IPL last year in Mumbai. “It will be a new experience.”
‘Cricket Bonanza’
“South Africa is in for a cricket bonanza this year,” Matthew Buckland, a cricket supporter who plans to attend one of the IPL events, said. “The IPL is one of cricket’s biggest tournaments.” South Africa is currently hosting a series of matches against Australia.
The England and Wales Cricket Board said it wished the IPL “every success” in South Africa, which was “a more practical choice in the timescale available.”
“We all recognized the difficulties and logistical issues involved in areas such as security,” board CEO David Collier said in an e-mailed statement.
In the same release, N. Srinivasan, honorary secretary of the BCCI, said the absence of permanent floodlights at many U.K. venues was also a factor in the decision.
IPL matches are typically played over three hours at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. India time, with each team facing 20 overs.
“Less than 20 years ago we were a sport in isolation, and today we’re probably the premier venue for cricket,” Tony Irish, chief executive officer of SA Cricketers Association, the South African professional players’ body, said by phone from Cape Town today. South Africa has favorable weather, costs and expertise in organizing big cricket events, he said.
Top Talent
The IPL is attracting the world’s best players and some of India’s richest people. Among those who took stakes in teams last year were Mukesh Ambani, chairman of India’s most valuable company, Reliance India Ltd.; liquor and airline owner Vijay Mallya; and Hindi film actors Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta.
Last year, India national team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni attracted a record bid of $1.5 million from the Chennai Super Kings. Former England captains Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff last month broke that mark with contracts worth $1.55 million each.
“I’m a bit sad it’s not in India,” Flintoff, who has publicly voiced concerns over security, told the BBC. “Playing cricket out there in front of those crowds in that environment is special but I’m sure South Africa will do a great job.”
India’s national team is on a tour of New Zealand, and was disappointed to see the tournament moved, the Press Trust of India reported, citing star batsman Sachin Tendulkar.
“There will be a lot of disappointment that the IPL won’t take place in India this year, but being in South Africa will allow our fans to watch it live on their television screens,” Modi added. “It’s been one of the hardest decisions we’ve ever had to make.”
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