South Africa will host the Indian Premier League (IPL) next month and in May, it was confirmed at a press conference on Tuesday.
The decision follows days of frenetic speculation over whether South Africa or England would earn the right to host the second edition of a dazzling show featuring the international stars of cricket. South Africa was chosen even before IPL commissioner Lalit Modi held talks with officials of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in London, scheduled for yesterday.
Modi and Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief executive Gerald Majola told media at the Wanderers Club that the Twenty20 tournament would be staged from April 18 into May, probably at six venues.
“To move the event outside India has been one of the hardest decisions that the Board of Control for Cricket in India [BCCI] has had to take, but I’m equally confident that staging it in South Africa will be a major success,” Modi said. “We extend a huge gratitude to our friends at Cricket South Africa for agreeing to host the Indian Premier League in such a short time. I’m sure all South African cricket fans are looking forward to the spectacle of seeing the world’s best players compete against each other in this tournament.”
“The South African public loves Twenty20 cricket and CSA successfully hosted the inaugural World Twenty20. Both these factors weighed heavily in favor of South Africa and we look forward to a successful and exciting tournament being held at venues throughout the country.” Majola said: “The organizers can be assured they have the full support of CSA structures and the South African public to stage a successful tournament.”
“This will strengthen the ties even further between South African and Indian cricket, as well as binding our nations even closer together,” Majola said. “We are looking forward to hosting some of the world’s best cricketers and we can assure them they will be provided with the very best facilities to show their skills.”
The ECB recognized that the IPL organizers had taken the practical option.
“The England and Wales Cricket Board has today [Tuesday] been thanked by the Board of Control for Cricket in India for their readiness to be a venue for the Indian Premier League,” the statement said. “Both the ECB and BCCI recognized that there were logistical issues, including climate and permanent floodlights, which made South Africa a more practical choice in the timescale available.”
Plans include shortening the tournament from six weeks to five, staging double headers and all matches to be broadcast live in South Africa by the Johannesburg-based SuperSport channel.
A CSA source said the opening ceremony is scheduled for Cape Town and Centurion, Durban, East London, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth would be the other venues.
A tournament that attracts most of the biggest names in the game is being moved from India because the dates clash with general elections and there would be insufficient security for the cricket event. Bollywood cinema stars and major Indian industrialists own the eight IPL teams and cricketers are “bought” at an auction for a tournament designed to feed the enormous Indian appetite for their favorite sport.
South Africa beat England to the hosting rights because of several factors, including weather, finances, television rights and the speedy issuing of more than 1,000 visas. Rain is less likely to affect matches in South Africa than England during the tournament period and with US$1 worth almost 10 rand it is an attractive option financially.
Johannesburg-based sports channel SuperSport holds the rights to IPL and international cricket in South Africa, clearing a huge hurdle. CSA sources said another factor that favored South Africa was government assurances that the 1,000-plus visas required would be processed swiftly and the tournament would receive “red-carpet treatment.”
Majola and Modi have developed a close personal relationship through various cricket projects, including the formation of the Twenty20 Champions League last year.
With the IPL heading for South Africa, the country becomes the center of the cricket world with Australia touring until April 17 and a 12-nation qualifying tournament for the 2011 World Cup starting next Wednesday. The International Cricket Council eight-nation Champions Trophy, the second biggest tournament after the World Cup, will also be held in South Africa during September and October.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
RSS