IPL cricket league snubs England for South Africa

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By Bill Mann

The decision by the Indian Premier League (IPL) to relocate its tournament this year to South Africa after the Indian government declared that it was unable to guarantee security during the month-long event due to a clash with the country's general election is a considerable coup for the African nation.

IPL chairman Lalit Modi and his counterpart from Cricket South Africa, Gerald Majola, confirmed the decision to move the tournament at a press conference in South Africa this afternoon. Matches will be held between April 17 and May 24, and will take place at six venues in South Africa: Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London.

England had been also been considered as a potential venue for the IPL, and made the initial running in the race to host it, but concerns over the climate in the country in April and a clash with the London Marathon meant that South Africa triumphed in the end.

The tournament will give the country a considerable - and quite unexpected - financial boost, as the IPL jamboree will bring thousands of players, team officials and spectators to South Africa for more than a month. There will also be allied revenues from tourism and TV deals to cover the matches. It will also provide the country with a perfect dry-run for next year's football World Cup, as the infrastructure being put in place for the 2010 event will be thoroughly tested and flaws in it made apparent during the IPL can be rectified in time for next year.

IPL cricket league snubs England for South Africa | Features | The First Post

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