Cricket IPL: South Africa new IPL frontrunners

Page last updated at 20:35 GMT, Monday, 23 March 2009

South Africa new IPL frontrunners

AB de Villiers (left), Makhaya Ntini and Graeme Smith all have IPL deals Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi wants South Africa to stage the tournament, BBC Sport understands. Modi has arrived in South Africa as he evaluates the options available to the IPL following the decision to move the event because of security fears. He plans to visit both South Africa and England in the next 24 hours to "assess venues and the logistics". England had been the early favourites to stage the tournament following the decision to switch it from India. 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 and Wales Cricket Board [ECB] chief executive David Collier plans to fly to London from the West Indies to hold talks later this week. But it now appears South Africa are in pole position to stage the lucrative Twenty20 competition, which will run from 10 April to 24 May, featuring 59 matches, eight teams and players from a host of countries. "I think it's all of a sudden become the favourite," former South Africa international Shaun Pollock told BBC Radio 5 Live. "I think the advantage for us is that all our domestic cricket is finished and the stadiums are pretty vacant, and all the facilities are available to be used. "The weather's also pretty good and I think the timeframe of the viewing will fit in nicely to the Indian schedule. So there's a lot of thing going for it, but who can say?" Manoj Badale, co-owner of inaugural IPL champions Rajasthan Royals, says South Africa is his preferred destination but is still hopeful India could host the tournament. Rajasthan Royals hope IPL stays in India "Certainly based on the conversations I've had, if it goes outside of India you'd have to suggest South Africa is the likeliest venue," he told BBC sports editor Mihir Bose. "I'm amazed the Indian government is prepared to walk away from such a large event at a time when it's election season and £100m is a lot of money for any economy. "I'm still hoping a rapprochement is achieved and we see the tournament back in India." Badale, who lives in west London, says moving the tournament to England would be a risk because of the weather and the potential lack of crowds. "April is the start of the cricket season - it's cold and it's not a prime-time cricket-watching part of the season," he said. "Children are still at school, people aren't yet on holiday and people haven't really tuned into the cricket mentality here." But he said there were advantages to both England and South Africa staging the tournament. "The big plus for South Africa and England is you've got 2.4m South Asians in the UK and you've got about 1.2m South Asians in South Africa," he said. "Those would be the communities you would try to reach out to but there's only so much you can do in 18 days." In contrast, Somerset chairman Andy Nash said England was in good shape to host the tournament. "There is an awful lot yet to be worked out but, at the end of the day, England invented the Twenty20 format," he told Radio 5 Live. "Should it be possible to bring the IPL here, I'm sure there will be enormous crowds and a huge amount of interest. "Logistically it won't be simple but if the will is there it can be overcome, I'm sure. Cricket can achieve remarkable things if people work together. "Once the ECB are aware of the requirements of the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) and IPL, they will move heaven and earth to try to accommodate this."