As the latest cricket news stands, it was declared yesterday that the high profile international cricket event, the IPL will be moved out of India, and while cricket fans in India may well be disappointed, many government agencies may heave a sigh of relief. There can be no disagreement with the fact that the democratic process of the country has to get top priority and that any sport or business enterprise, howsoever high profile and prestigious, howsoever profitable cannot be allowed to compromise that. Union Home Minister P Chidambaram indicated as much when he was quoted in the cricket news as saying, that elections were “unquestionably” first priority.

The minister explained the enormity of the problem when he added, “It is not security only in that state. You see, if election is taking place in a neighbouring state or just across the state border. If we have an IPL match in the state, there could be problems.” He however expressed confidence in the IPL organisers, saying, “I think the organizers are responsible people. I think they are patriotic Indians. I think they will take a call.”

The minister has hastened to assure that international cricket and cricket players are safe in India, that it is just the clash of the IPL with election dates that is causing the security difficulties. “Every cricket player will be safe; every cricket match will be conducted safely. The point is because the two schedules (elections and IPL) virtually overlap, it is difficult to give that assurance only for this time period of about 45 days. Before and after, there is no doubt in my mind that the state and Central governments can provide foolproof security to cricket matches or football matches or anything else,” Chidambaram said.

However because of the fact that international cricket has an extremely tight schedule and the fact that there is no other window open to conduct IPL Season 2, that it has now become inevitable that IPL Season 2 be shifted out of India. There have been assurances that the IPL will not lose any of its Indian-ness or any of the color that makes it such a high light in the international cricket calendar. There have even been assurances given that the matches will start at the same time that they did last year. IPL chairman Lalit Modi has assured that "The BCCI will see to it that franchises don't lose out," but one does have to ask, Will this remain the ‘Indian’ Premier League? Doesn’t sound like it.

Comments

Add New RSS

3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."

Newer news items:

Older news items: