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IPL in South Africa

BBC ONUNE, undated
The 2009 Indian Premier League (IPL) will now take place in South Africa.
Security concerns in India forced organisers to seek an
alternative host, with England a possible desti-
nation.
But IPL boss Lalit Modi opted for South Africa following talks with Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief executive Gerard Majola in Johannesburg onTuesday.
The tournament, which will feature 59 matches across six venues, will start a week later than planned, running from April 18 to May24.
The 59 matches are scheduled to be played in Johannesburg, Pretoria, CapeTown, Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London.
"We are very happy to confirm that South Africa will host the 2009 Indian Premier League tournament," confirmed Modi.
"The South African public loves Twenty2O cricket and CSA successfully hosted the inaugural ICC World Twenty20. Both these factors weighed heavily in South Africa's favour."
Majola added his delight, saying: "This is a great compliment to both CSA and our nation to be shown this confidence in our ability to hold one of the world's top sporting events at short notice.
"This event will strengthen the ties even further between South African and Indian cricket, as well as binding our nations even closer together.
"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. We will do the IPL proud."
The decision is a major coup for South Africa, who will enjoy the financial benefits of hosting such a high-profile tournament as well as underline their readiness to host the football World Cup in 2010.
The tournament will feature the biggest and best names in the sport, including England’s own Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff, Owais Shah, Ravi Bopara and Paul Collingwood.
Pietersen and Flintoff had both spoken publicly about their concerns over security in India, especially in light of the terrorist attacks in Lahore, where Sri Lanka cricketers were the targets of fundamentalists.
Since then, Modi said he had no choice but to move the event because India's government could not guarantee safety and security resources, with national elections happening at the same time.
England were thought to be the early favourites to stage the tournament in India's stead, but it appears that the country's inclement
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weather has played a part in it notbeingchosen.
Modi had earlier told an Indian TV station: "Weather could be a problem. Moreover because of the London Marathon (26 April) there could be a problem finding hotel rooms for some days.
’’There's also theTest series between West Indies and England we have to take into account."
There are other factors that render South Africa a more attractive option, including television timings — South Africa is closer to India in terms of time zones - while the cost of holding the tournament is reportedly cheaper in the African nation.
TheTV rights issue in South Africa is also more straightforward, with Supersport holding the rights to the 1PL as well as international cricket in the country.
That is not the case in England, where Sky hold the broadcast rights to all cricket played in England -- but rival Setanta bought the UK rights to the IPL last year and showed the inaugural tournament.
BBC sports editor Mihir Bose also believes the South Africa government played its part, saying: "South Africa have clearly provided the Indians with the sort of guarantees they were after.
"The weather was a factor, but I also understand from talking to various people that the South African government came in a very strong way. With a lot of spectators expected to move around, issues like visas are also crucial and all of that has played a part."