The Hindu : Front Page : IPL bosses reworking schedule

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Sunday, Mar 15, 2009
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IPL bosses reworking schedule

New Delhi: With the Indian Premier League schedule thrown into jeopardy, the organisers have started the cumbersome process of re-working the dates in a bid to salvage the high profile Twenty20 cricket event starting next month.

The tournament, coinciding with the general elections, has run into rough weather after the Home Ministry asked the organisers to redraw the schedule as it was not feasible to hold the matches under the existing fixture for security reasons.

IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi and CEO Sundar Raman, who airdashed to the capital from Mumbai on Friday night, held meetings to find a way out of the imbroglio. “We are working on a new schedule. Hopefully, everything will be sorted out,” IPL tournament director Dhiraj Malhotra said.

The Bangalore police declined to provide security cover for the tournament till May 3 and advised the organisers to hold all matches after May 4. “We are constantly fine-tuning the schedule to address the concerns of all the States hosting the matches. It is a tight situation and if need be, we may have to have three matches on a number of days or add some new venues to complete the event within the specific dates,” an IPL source said.

The Ministry’s directive came on Friday after eight States, where matches are to be held, said they might not be able to provide security in view of the general elections. — PTI

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