http://ipl.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/England_may_get_slice_of_IPL/articleshow/3868009.cms said:
England may get slice of hosting next edition's IPL
NEW DELHI: The next IPL Twenty20 extravaganza may unfold at Lord's as well. The tournament, which had a smashing debut earlier this year, is expected to be split with five weeks of action in India and three weeks in UK where it is expected to draw in sub-continental diaspora as well as English fans.
The IPL proposal has been discussed with the English board which has evinced keen interest in the possibility of staging a part of the competition that was won last time by Jaipur Royals.
The competition is scheduled for April-May and the player auction for the second season will be held in February next year.
The IPL governing body is expected to consider the proposal for two venues when it meets on January 3 and even though the schedule and revenue model need to be finalised, the scheme is expected to go through.
It's likely that the tournament will kick off in India and then move to the UK for three weeks before it returns to India for the final matches.
"IPL will become more of an international event and other cricket boards are also likely to be supportive. Indian interests will be safeguarded in the revenue model and the game will benefit overall," said well-placed sources.
What organisers have to look at is whether the scheduling clashes with major fixtures in England or India.
The eight-week IPL window is any way inked into India's cricket calender and any hitches are expected to be resolved with technical teams already carrying out a survey of facilities in England.
Given that IPL drew in top talent from across the cricketing world, adding an England leg will make the event even more high profile.
English cricketers missed out in the first edition of the game as their board held them to domestic commitments. With IPL's impressive revenues being shared and the event being played at home, the English board could reconsider its objections.
ECB open to co-hosting IPL
The England and Wales Cricket Board, it is learnt, is amenable to the idea of co-hosting the next IPL T20 extravaganza.
If the tournament is shared between India and UK, it would also dilute the criticism that India was using its financial clout to set the tournament to its interests.
"We have to see the domestic season in England, but as of now, ECB is keen to work it out. That is why we are going to discuss about IPL matches in England," an official added.
Another important factor that has made ECB more amenable to the offer is that other T20 tourneys have simply not been able to emulate the IPL's success.
The Stanford T20 Cup proved to be loss making, despite a $1 million prize money for each member of the champion team in a winner-take-all format.
After incurring a huge loss following the financial meltdown, Stanford may be rethinking about hosting the event.
But IPL sees it as an opportunity to recreate the T20 magic as world cricket is significantly supported by revenues from India — about 80% of the total cricketing turnover.
