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South Africa edges out Britain in
race to host IPL
South Africa weather better, say IPL officials even as political
space heats up over IPL exit from India
WSN Network
 MUMBAI/JOHANNESBURG:
After weeks of intense speculation, Indian cricket’s big ticket,
mega bucks event, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to move to
South Africa where it will stage the five-week, 59-game tournament,
albeit a week later than scheduled -- beginning April 18.
South Africa was
competing with the U.K. to be host, and won mostly because the
weather will be better, officials said. The decision was taken after
a meeting between the IPL commissioner, Lalit Modi, and the Cricket
South Africa (CSA) chief executive, Gerald Majola, in Johannesburg
on Tuesday.
The move to
South
Africa throws the IPL’s multimillion-pound broadcasting and
sponsorship deals in India into disarray and has kicked up a
political storm among India’s politicians, some of whom were quick
to project IPL’s flight as a loss of face for India on an
international stage.
The event was
moved to
South Africa after the Congress-led UPA government refused to
provide state security forces for matches, citing a conflict with
the Lok Sabha elections schedule.
The government’s
reaction started a virtual war of words between Union Home Minister
P Chidambaram, who had opposed holding the IPL tournament alongside
general elections, and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi who
called the IPL flight a “national shame.”
In retaliation,
Chidambaram hit out at both Modi and BJP leader Arun Jaitley as well
as BCCI president Shashank Manohar for his claim that the
government’s attitude had forced the organisers to move the IPL out
of the country.
Chidambaram said
Jaitley had “gone overboard” in suggesting that the IPL had to be
shifted because of the non-cooperative attitude of the Centre and
Congress-ruled states. Jaitley had also said the decision would send
a negative message to the world that
India was unable
to hold a sporting event.
“What is a
national shame? Most people in
India think that
the Gujarat communal riots of 2002 were a national shame,”
Chidambaram retorted in response to Modi’s comments.
Modi also faced
an awkward situation on Monday with his Director General of Police
contradicting him on the state’s readiness to hold IPL matches
during poll time after the cricket tournament was shifted overseas.
State police
chief S S Khandawala, in a letter dated March 17 to Gujarat Cricket
Association President (GCA) Narhari Amin, said, “We are not in a
position to demarcate police force for security purpose for IPL
matches between April 15 and May 3.”
IPL: WHERE THE
BIG BUCKS LIE
The IPL’s debut
in India
last year generated $900 milllion (£620 million) in television
rights and has transformed the face of cricket. It has managed to
attract the world’s best players and India’s rich and famour
including Relaince’s Mukesh Ambani, liquor and airline baron Vijay
Mallya; and Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Shilpa
Shetty.
Last year,
national team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was bid for a record $1.5
million by Chennai Super Kings. This year, former
England captains
Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff broke that mark with contracts
worth $1.55 million each.
The IPL’s
website claims that the organizers have paid Rs 1 billion ($20
million) in taxes till date.
The IPL's
opening ceremony will be held in
Cape Town and
Johannesburg, Durban, Centurion, Port Elizabeth, East London and
Cape Town would be the host venues.
South Africa had
been considered the favourite to host the IPL's second season after
IPL officials voiced concerns over the effect
England's
springtime weather might have on the tournament.
England also
faced issues in the form of cost, scheduling and the likelihood of
conflict between television rights holders.
South Africa's
chances were further boosted after the country's government got
actively involved in wooing the IPL, throwing in assurances on
security and speedy clearance of visas for players and officials.
25 March 2009
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