The second season of IPL seems to have new problems cropping up every day. After the security concerns raised over the series, and BCCI’s (Board of Control for Cricket in India) tussle with broadcaster Multi Screen Media (MSM) over telecast rights, BCCI has now announced that the series, scheduled to be held from April 10 to May 24, will be held overseas and not in India as earlier announced.
The BCCI has attributed the reason for change in venue to security concerns raised by the government over the protection that can be provided at the match venues and to the players scheduled to participate for all the matches.
With the General Elections scheduled to be held from April 16 to May 13, the government had raised concerns over the ability of state governments to be able to provide adequate security for the series. State governments had in turn asked the centre for help on the security issue, saying they were not equipped to handle the security on their own. The Ministry of Home Affairs had stated that the elections were of more serious concern to the government than the cricket series and had suggested that the series be rescheduled so that they were held after the elections. This is not acceptable to the BCCI, who have stated that given the present international calendar of events, there is no other window available to hold the series other than the one presently charted out, and has concluded that “it is left with no other option but to conduct the Indian Premier League in another country.”
England and South Africa are being touted as being in the running for the choice of the new venue.
