The IPL Fiasco

The INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE, the most watched, enjoyed and celebrated cricketing specticle last year has been creating quite a stir this year.

Due to the scheduling of the league amid India's general election and the rising terrorist attacks in the sub-continent the Govenment of India as well as several foreign players have shown their reluctance towards IPL's second season.

The Indian Government has decided after days of tidious talks,discussions and negotiation (which now seems to have failed miserably) with the IPL chairman Lalit Modi, on not approving the tournament to be held at its proposed schedule.

After this development Mr. Modi and Shashank Manohar, the President of the BCCI have confirmed that the IPL will be held outside of India, though it will still be called the Indian Premier League.

Not so long ago Mr. Manohar had ruled out any possibility of host IPL 2 in a foreign venue, having full confidence in the on-going negotiations with the Government he said, " How can the IPL be Indian cricket league if its not held in India." As we learn now, apparently it can.

Addressing the press a very stressed Lalit Modi stated that the BCCI are having talks with the South African cricket board and the English cricket board on the availability of venues, security issues and other logistical factors. The South African board has already responded saying its ready to host the IPL even at short notice.

"Logistically, it's a huge challenge, we'll have a home for each of the eight teams." said Modi, who met owners and representatives of the franchises after the BCCI's working committee decided to shift the tournament to another country.

When asked about the fixtures and length of the league and the possibility of rescheduling a league all together, he dismissively said,"Having a shortened league makes no sense." Apparently having the league in a different country and allotting alien cities to the teams as their home venues makes an awful lot of sense to Mr. Modi.

He said that the format of the league will be the same as it was the previous year. Each team will have a home ground and will play all the other teams in a home and a away match. Hence there will be 59 matches in all including 56 league matches two semi-finals and a final.

Even though the venues and the host nation are not decided he was very quick to confirm the broadcast timings of the matches.

"The matches will be broadcasted at 4 pm and at 8 pm in the prime time slot," he said.

He also added,"It's going to be exorbitantly prohibitive to move the tournament out of the country. We may not make any profit. We're not looking at the profits, but wanted the IPL played this year, and we'll ensure that the franchises suffer no losses."

He also blamed the Government for being rigid and adamant about its stand. Kudos for Mr. Modi on "not" being hypocritical at all.

Personally under the current circumstances I think the IPL should be postponed. Holding the IPL in another country is unreasonable, especially for the players. Adjusting to foreign conditions, making alien stadiums as a home ground is a lot to as for especially from those players participating in the on going India-New Zealand series.

The series finishes on the 8th of April and the IPL starts on the 10th and also keeping in minds the ICC world 20-20 which starts on the 5th of june. The player will be in tremendous stress and board is in oblivion to that. What do you say?