In yet another vote of confidence in South Africa's ability to host international sporting events, SA was today named the host of the 2009 Indian Premier League tournament, due to start next month.
The 59-match Twenty20 tournament is cricket's answer to England's Premier Football League. First hosted in India in 2008, the popular series is expected to draw much excitement among cricket fans throughout SA.
South Africa was pitted against England in the last-minute bid to host the competition after the Board of Control for Cricket in India requested that the tournament be moved abroad as the dates clashed with the Indian general election.
The decision to host the IPL tournament in South Africa followed a meeting in Johannesburg on Tuesday between Cricket South Africa's CEO, Gerald Majola, and Lalit Modi, Chairman and Commissioner of the IPL.
"This is a great compliment to both CSA and our nation to be shown this confidence in our ability to host one of the world's top sporting events at short notice," said Majola following the signing of the agreement.
Modi said in a statement: "The South African public loves T2O cricket and Cricket SA successfully hosted the inaugural ICC World T20. Both these factors weighed heavily in South Africa's favour, and we look forward to a successful and exciting tournament being held at venues throughout South Africa."
Planning is already underway in the provincial departments of CSA, with the IPL's 59 matches set to take place across six venues.
Games are scheduled to be played in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London. The tournament will take place from 18 April to 24 May. Details regarding fixtures will be announced soon.
The announcement that SA will host the IPL tournament comes hot off the heels of last week's announcement from the ICC, in which SA was named host of the 2009 Champions Trophy. The event was moved from Pakistan by the International Cricket Council for safety reasons.
SA has now positioned itself as the cricketing centre of the world for 2009. By the end of the year SA would have hosted a major Australia tour, the IPL tournament, the ICC 2011 World Cup Qualifying Tournament and the 2009 Champions Trophy.
