IPL sends revised schedule to government

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."

On Wednesday, the BCCI, which runs the IPL, informed P Chidambaram, India's Home Minister, that they would not require central forces for the tournament. The Indian board informed the minister that they "can do with state police," Special Secretary (Internal Security) Raman Srivastava told reporters in New Delhi.

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."