Four IPL officials, including Commissioner and Chairman Lalit Modi, are set to leave for England on Monday, sources said on Sunday. 

“Modi, Sundar Raman (IPL CEO), Dheeraj Malhotra (IPL Tournament Director) and one more person are going to London on Monday,” they said.

The IPL officials are expected to hold discussions with officials of the England and the Wales Cricket Board for holding IPL’s second edition in England following the Cricket Board’s decision earlier on Sunday to hold the high-profile Twenty20 tournament overseas.

England and South Africa are being touted as the likely venues for the cash-rich event which was shifted outside India following the non-clearance of its schedule by the Union Government.

The IPL will be held from April 10 to May 24 and Modi has announced that the host country and the full schedule will be declared by Monday evening.

A decision on whether the Indian Premier League (IPL) can go ahead with a revised schedule would be taken after the central government discusses the matter with the host states and the Election Commission.

The IPL organisers have conveyed to the Home Ministry that they do not require any central forces for the security.

“The Ministry of Home Affairs passed on the new schedule to the states yesterday itself and is waiting for their response as to whether they need para-military forces for matches or not,” Special Secretary (Internal Security) Raman Srivastava said in New Delhi on Thursday.

The new schedule starts from April 10 and ends on May 24, he said. Raman revealed that after receiving the response from the state governments, the Home Ministry will go to the Election Commission informing them about the security arrangements.

The states where the IPL matches are scheduled to be held are Delhi, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

He said the BCCI has written a letter to Home Minister P Chidambaram saying that they “do not require central para-military forces and can do with state police and they have given a new schedule yesterday avoiding election dates.”

Though Srivastava refused to comment about the fate of the IPL tournament, sources in the Home Ministry said a company (100 personnel) could be spared for security during the matches.

The Home Ministry had earlier said that providing security for the league during the time of general elections would be difficult due to shortage of paramilitary forces and the time it is likely to take for deploying them for election duty.

The security agencies are themselves unwilling to stretch for the league and have told the government to press for a postponement of the high-profile event.

The terror attack on the Sri Lankan team on Tuesday in Lahore has also compounded the problems for the IPL organisers, who now expect pullouts by many of the foreign players.

Federation of International Cricketers Association chief executive Tim May has already sought a wider role in assessing the security for players during the IPL.

In case the organisers are forced to postpone the IPL, it would be difficult to find a slot to hold the event this year in view of the crammed cricket calendar. It would then have to be held around the same period next year.

The IPL has sent a revised tournament schedule to the Indian government and is awaiting a response that it hopes will lead to an early decision on the league’s second edition. Under the revised list, the matches will be held within the original April 10-May 24 window but will no longer clash with the election dates in India. It leaves a minimum gap of up to 48 hours – six to seven days, in some cases – before and after the election dates at any specific venue.

India’s home ministry, which has suggested the tournament be held after the elections, will now sound out individual state administrations at the nine IPL venues for feedback and suggestions before reverting to league officials.

“We are confident but there is still some way to go before we can be 100% sure,” a senior member of the IPL’s governing council said. “There are no specific meetings scheduled but discussions have already been initiated with the government at various levels.”

IPL officials are bracing for negotiations with the government and the governing council member said they have alternative plans to take the league forward. “We could have the tournament in two legs at some venues and, in one case, there is a clear possibility of wrapping up the matches before the election date [at that venue],” the official said.

A worst-case scenario, he said, was for the IPL to be cut from its current 44-day schedule to around 30 days.

Government officials, however, believe the key to the situation lies with the state administrations who will handle on-ground security for the IPL matches. “If state officials at the host cities say they have a problem, we are back to square one again,” a home ministry official said. “There could also be a problem if they demand more central forces at a time when the general elections are on. The Lahore attack has taken threat perceptions everywhere to a different level.”

To put things in perspective, the India-England Test in Chennai last December, when England were promised the tightest security cover possible after the Mumbai attacks, was covered by 1500 local police officials and 150 central paramilitary personnel.

In the IPL’s case, police officials in Kolkata have already indicated that they may not be in a position to provide security at Eden Gardens during elections. “The Knight Riders’ match on May 13 clashes with polling day in Kolkata,” Gautam Chakraborty, the city police commissioner, said. “Also, there are two matches between April 30 and May 7 (which are polling days). It doesn’t matter that polls on these days will be conducted outside Kolkata. City police personnel are also deployed in the districts during polls.”

IS Bindra, a member of the IPL’s governing council and the ICC’s principal adviser, has admitted the IPL will have to accommodate the government’s concerns. “If the state administrations tell us they cannot handle the security, there is no way we can go ahead,” Bindra told the Hindustan Times. “But I’m sure it won’t come to that.”

Indian Premier League bosses battled to save their multi-million-dollar tournament on Wednesday after a government call for it to be postponed for security reasons.

In the wake of Tuesday’s deadly assault on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan, questions are also being asked about whether the top world players signed up by the IPL will be prepared to play in South Asia.

The Mumbai siege in late November dealt a massive blow to India’s security image, and fears over safety across the region will have been exacerbated by the gun and grenade attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore.

Home minister P. Chidambaram said Tuesday said he would be “stretched” to provide adequate security to the popular Twenty20 tournament, as it clashes with general elections in April and May.

“Since the election dates are unalterable, I have asked to find out if the dates of the IPL can be rescheduled,” Chidambaram told reporters.

“I would be happy if the tournament starts when the bulk of the polls is over.”

The IPL is due to be played across 10 cities in India from April 10 to May 24. The parliamentary elections will be held in five phases between April 16 and May 13.

Chidambaram’s comments came hours after the attack on the Sri Lankan team which injured seven players and an assistant coach and killed eight Pakistanis — six of them policemen escorting their convoy to the stadium.

IPL officials insisted the tournament will not be postponed, citing a lack of alternative dates in an already crowded calendar, but agreed to adjustments so matches do not clash with voting in a particular city.

“There is no chance of postponing the IPL,” tournament commissioner Lalit Modi told Indian media.

“We have taken into account government sensibilities, but I am sure even the Home Minister would not want the whole country to come to a standstill during the elections.”

Home ministry officials are expected to meet IPL bosses over the next few days to resolve the matter, although reports say the government is determined to see the 59-match tournament postponed.

There are also concerns on whether international players will be willing to set foot on the sub-continent following the Lahore attack.

The biggest draw this year would be the first IPL appearance for England stars Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff, who were signed for a record 1.55 million dollars each per year.

The Mumbai attacks last November has already forced the postponement by a year of the IPL-backed Champions League, featuring the top Twenty20 teams from Australia, South Africa, England, Pakistan and India.

“If I were one of the England guys who signed up for the Indian Premier League, I would be concerned,” former England coach Duncan Fletcher wrote in the Guardian newspaper.

“The attacks in Mumbai called into question even the safety of the best hotels. What cricketer is going to start thinking about runs and wickets when there are these more serious matters to consider?”

Former England captain Mike Atherton, however, told The Times he hoped the IPL would go ahead.

“If cricket in India takes a blow, then it’s almost the end of cricket as a truly international sport — it becomes an enclave of a few countries here and there.

“It’s vitally important it continues to be played on the sub-continent.”

Although IPL officials insist that international players will turn up, one official from a top team conceded the tournament could not go ahead without the support of the government and its security agencies.

“No one wants to take a chance in these difficult times,” the official told AFP on condition of anonymity. “One mad person could ruin everything.”

Australian captain Ricky Ponting, who was contracted with Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan’s Kolkata Knightriders, has already pulled out of this year’s IPL, citing commitments for his country.

Former New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond will not play this year’s Champions League Twenty20 tournament. 

Arguably the standout performer of Canterbury’s march to the State Twenty20 final against Otago, Bond’s contract with the Delhi Giants means he will not be permitted to play in the Champions event, should Canterbury win and then the winner of Sunday’s match be invited.

Unlike Chris Harris, whose differing contract with the Hyderabad Heroes meant he was not eligible to play for Canterbury at all during the State Twenty20, Bond has been.

But donning the red-and-black colours over in India would be a bridge too far for Champions League organisers Cricket Australia, Cricket South Africa and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Talks between the BCCI, International Cricket Council and ICL, about the ICL and its players coming in from the cold, broke down in Johannesburg on Monday.

Canterbury Cricket chief executive Lee Germon said it would take a significant thaw in those relations, or the demise of the ICL, to reverse the ruling on Bond.

“If he is no longer part of the ICL, then perhaps things could change. But, at this stage, Bondy can’t play,” Germon said.

India’s rebel Twenty20 league is considering legal action after failing in the latest bid for recognition because of staunch opposition by the Indian board, former India skipper Kapil Dev said on Wednesday.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) was unsuccessful in its bid to end a dispute between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Indian Cricket League (ICL) after a meeting held in Johannesburg on Monday proved fruitless.

“As a sportsman, I don’t like matters of sport being decided in court, but with the talks failing (again), we may have no choice but to take recourse to law,” Kapil Dev, chairman of the Indian Cricket League (ICL), said.

“I can’t understand who has given the BCCI the right to be the sole authority for promoting cricket in India. The ICL too is doing just that, so why should our boys be punished? That, to me, is not justice.”

The ICL’s application to be recognised as unofficial cricket would now be discussed at the ICC Board meeting in April.

The ICL, bankrolled by one of India’s largest media firms, launched the league following India’s triumph in the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in 2007.

It signed overseas players, particularly from Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh.

However the BCCI, concerned the league would undermine its position, refused to recognise it and persuaded other national boards to ban players who signed up.

The International Cricket Council’s bid to end a dispute between the Indian board and the nation’s rebel Twenty20 league ended in failure on Monday.

The Indian Cricket League’s (ICL) application to be recognised as unofficial cricket will now go before the ICC Board which meets in Dubai in April, the ruling body said in a statement.

ICC president David Morgan was disappointed three-hour talks in Johannesburg proved fruitless.

“I’m grateful to all parties for coming together with the best of intentions and the discussions took place in a friendly and cordial manner but, unfortunately, we were not able to come to a successful conclusion,” he said.

The ICL, bankrolled by the Essel group, one of India’s largest media firms, launched the league following India’s triumph in the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in 2007.

It signed overseas players, particularly from Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh.

However the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), concerned the league would undermine its position, refused to recognise it and persuaded other national boards to ban players who signed up.

The ICC will meet representatives of the BCCI and the rebel ICL in Johannesburg on February 23.

This follows the ICC Executive Board’s decision early this month authorising the official cricket boards of each country to decide on which events/tournaments within its territory are approved/unapproved.

Around 150 players plying their trade in the ICL have been banned by their respective boards and the ICC is keen that the matter gets sorted out in the February 23 meeting.

“I’ve long regarded it as a priority to bring together the BCCI and the owners of the ICL and I’m pleased to say we have fixed a meeting to take place in Johannesburg on Monday,” Morgan said.

“I hope we might be successful in coming to a mutually acceptable conclusion. I can’t be certain that will be the case but I hope we can at least make a start in bringing about a settlement,” he said.

“I think this is significant because experience tells me that the best opportunity to solve a dispute is to have the parties face-to-face.”

Pakistan has recently allowed its players aligned with ICL to play in domestic circuit following a ruling by Sindh High Court but still retained the ban on playing international cricket.

The organisers of the Champions League may invite New Zealand’s domestic Twenty20 champions to participate in the cash-rich event, a media report said on Wednesday.

“New Zealand Cricket hasn’t yet been invited to the tournament but it is understood chief executive Justin Vaughan is hopeful of getting the green light before New Zealand’s domestic Twenty20 final on March 1,” a report in the Dominion Post said.

The top-two domestic Twenty20 teams from India, Australia, South Africa and England and one team from Pakistan are due to figure in the tournament, scheduled for October.

The newspaper has also started speculation on which team stumper-batsman Brendon McCullum will play if his home side — Otago — qualifies.

“Otago are at the top of the competition points table and are a leading contender to claim the State twenty20 title and progress to India in October. McCullum’s Indian Premier League team, the Kolkata Knight Riders, are also strong contenders to make the Champions League.

“If Otago and Kolkata both book spots in the coming months it will provide McCullum with three options, after he qualified to play for New South Wales when he played in the Australian domestic twenty20 final last month,” the newspaper wrote.

“McCullum’s situation isn’t unique, with other New Zealand players Jacob Oram, Scott Styris, Daniel Vettori, Ross Taylor, Kyle Mills and Jesse Ryder also facing the possibility of being torn between New Zealand and IPL teams.”

The newspaper also claimed that the issue did figure in New Zealand Cricket’s discussions in Christchurch on Monday “but it was decided not to make a firm call on the matter, or at least release their thoughts publicly, until the possible headache did actually arise.”

Otago chief Ross Dykes also chose not to dwell on the issue unless they see an invitation from the organisers.

“It is a matter of crossing that bridge if we come to it. We didn’t want to go around in circles discussing something which might not eventuate,” he said.

Shah Rukh Khan-promoted Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) has tied up with soft drinks major Coca Cola for sponsorship during the coming IPL, days after the actor was dumped by rival beverage player PepsiCo as its brand ambassador.

“We are happy to announce that we have tied up with Coca Cola for (a) sponsorship deal for the IPL, which will include using the company’s logo as well as promoting their brand,” KKR Director Joy Bhattacharya told media.

He said the contract is especially for the IPL season and Coca Cola’s sparkling drink brand ‘Sprite’ would be promoted as part of the campaign.

Bhattacharya, however, refused to share any more details regarding the deal, including size of the contract.

Coca Cola refused to comment on the development. Coke’s deal with KKR comes on the heels of PepsiCo terminating its contract with Khan, who was the longest serving brand ambassador for the company.

PepsiCo had, however, said it is “currently in discussions with him to take the relationship to a new phase”.