BCCI to decide on IPL venue after announcement of poll schedule

South Africa, Bangladesh, Emirates cricket boards keen to host matches

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) today said, it will decide the venue of the seventh edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) after the announcement of the schedule of upcoming general elections.

"The working committee was of the view that we (BCCI) should first wait to find out the programmes of the elections and after that a decision can be taken", said N Srinivasan, President, BCCI, after chairing the working committee meeting of the board here.

If necessary, part of the tournament can be played outside and part can be played inside (in India), the BCCI chief added.

 

Chairman, IPL, Ranjib Biswal informed the working committee that South Africa, Bangladesh and Emirates Cricket Board have expressed their support and interest to host IPL.

If the 20-over format tournament is moved out of India the team franchises will take a big hit on revenues from ticket sales on their home grounds.

Speaking to media prior to the meeting, Sanjay Patel, secretary, BCCI, said, "We will try our level best that most the matches are played in India".

On a query, whether BCCI will bear the additional cost for matches to be played abroad, Patel said, "We will try to see how the cost can be kept at bare minimum for the franchisees".

"We are also reviewing the cost structure", he added.

The Union ministry of Home Affairs has already said that it will not be able to provide fool-proof security to IPL matches due to the coming Lok Sabha polls.

This is not the first time that there are talks of holding the IPL matches abroad. In 2009, when the IPL dates clashed with the Lok Sabha poll, the event was shifted to South Africa.

On the recent developments over IPL spot fixing case,in which Srinivasan's son-in-law, Gurunath Maeyappan is alleged to be involved,the BCCI Chief declined to elaborate on the matter citing that the matter is sub-judice.

"The matter is sub-judice now, I cannot go into it.As far as BCCI is concerned necessary steps will be taken to protect the sport", he clarified.

IPL has been free and fair, Srinivasan asserted.

On the Justice Mukul Mudgal Committee report that went into allegations of spot-fixing and betting in IPL games, Biswal said,nearly 70 per cent of the recommendations of the committee have already been implemented.

To keep the IPL matches free from such fixing incidents,officials of the anti-corruption unit will accompany the teams and monitor them, he added.