BCCI stages IPL Abroad?

IPL in India looks a difficult task due to security concerns as the IPL dates clashes with the dates of General Elections in India.The Indian cricket board will stage the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament abroad this year. The reason for this decision seems that the Indian government are not in a position to provide security forces and this has forced the IPL officials to host the tournament outside India.

Cricket authorities in South Africa and England confirmed that they had been asked to look into hosting the event.The BCCI had failed to get government clearance for security cover despite revising the match dates three times because the tournament clashes with the country's general election, to be held between April 16 and May 13.The IPL will be played on its original dates, between April 10 and May 24, and is scheduled to return to India next season.

The South African cricket board said it had received a request from the BCCI to be a possible host.They received an official approach to be one of several options they are considering to host the tournament outside India.South Africa will also stage the Champions Trophy one-day competition beginning in September.

The England and Wales Cricket Board later released a similar statement, saying that at the request of the BCCI and the IPL it was "examining the feasibility of hosting the 2009 IPL in England and Wales".Indian officials said the huge financial implications and a tight international calendar had forced their hand. The World Twenty20 begins in England in early June.

Under the given circumstances, there is no other period for the conduct of IPL matches, the BCCI said in a statement and apologised to the cricket-crazy Indian fans for not being in a position to host the event at home this year.Security concerns have dominated the build-up to the lucrative eight-team event, involving many big-name international players, after an attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in the Pakistani city of Lahore earlier this month.