IPL juggles dates over election clash

THE FATE of the 2009 Indian Premier League was in the balance last night at a meeting between IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, and Indian Government ministers.

Modi has been asked to postpone the tournament by Indian Home Minister, Palaniappan Chidambaram, who is concerned that the IPL’s dates will clash with general elections, which run from April 16 to May 13. Modi has prepared a revised schedule in which no game takes place within a three-day period around each individual poll.

While there is concern that Indian security forces will not be able to cope with two such major events running concurrently, the politician and cricket administrator Sharad Pawar played down fears that India could be hit by a similar terrorist attack to the one unleashed in Lahore on Tuesday.

“I don’t think in India one should worry like Pakistan,” he said. “Our security forces are quite competent and public is alert.”

Details of the IPL’s security arrangements are bound to come under scrutiny, especially now that prominent contracted players, such as New Zealand’s Jacob Oram, have publicly expressed doubts about attending the tournament.

At least one IPL franchise has been told it must move games to dates that do not clash with India’s general elections.

Kolkata Police Commissioner Gautam Mohan Chakraborty said it would not be possible to provide adequate security for IPL matches during the polls.

“I have requested the Knight Riders representatives to postpone or change the dates of matches to be held at Eden Gardens during the Lok Sabha polls.

“It won’t be possible for us to provide them adequate security at that time,” he said after a meeting with the Kolkata Knight Riders.

The police chief said the franchise had agreed to change the dates.

Meanwhile, I. S. Bindra, a member of the IPL governing council, has said it would not be possible to move the tournament.

He said the IPL would work with the Government to find a way to host the tournament, but if that was not possible it would have to be cancelled.

“If the state administrations tell us they cannot handle the security, there is no way we can go ahead, but I’m sure it won’t come to that,” said Bindra, who is also the International Cricket Council’s principal adviser.

In its first season, the IPL suffered from security breaches perpetrated by the same policemen who were supposed to be guarding the grounds. The security plans for last year were assembled in piecemeal fashion. Some franchises turned to South African consultants Nicholls Steyn — who also advise the International Cricket Council — while others ran their own operations.

This year, Nicholls Steyn has been asked to oversee the whole tournament, and is likely to bring in staff from other countries. “I have had numerous telephone conversations with Lalit and he has stressed that there must be absolutely no chances taken,” company director Bob Nicholls said.

Oram’s fears have been echoed by a number of Australian players, while the England and Wales Cricket Board said it would undertake independent security assessments before allowing its players to appear in India.

Credits: TheAge