Ahmedabad may host CLT20 qualifiers

Ahmedabad is likely to host the Champions League Twenty20 qualifiers after the Andhra Pradesh state police told original hosts Hyderabad they would not be able to provide adequate security. In the release issued earlier on Friday announcing the final team squads, the league organisers did not list the venue for the six qualifiers, which were scheduled to be played between September 17 and 20 in Hyderabad.

"The police have expressed their inability to provide security on those dates as they clash with the Ganesh immersion. We have conveyed that to the IPL authorities," MV Sridhar, the Hyderabad Cricket Association secretary, told ESPNCricinfo.

According to Sridhar, the question mark over security was restricted to the qualifiers, as he said HCA remained confident that the police would provide appropriate security for the six group matches scheduled on September 24, 28 and 30 in Hyderabad.

Consequently, it is understood the BCCI approached Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) to inform them to be ready to host the qualifying matches. "We've been asked to be on standby. We've told them if the need be, we can host the matches," GCA secretary Rajesh Patel said. The final decision on the shift of venue is likely to be taken at the BCCI working committee meeting on Sunday in Kolkata.

Sunrishers Hyderabad (fourth IPL team), Faislabad Wolves (Pakistan), Otago Volts (New Zealand) and Kandurata Maroons (Sri Lanka) were scheduled to play double headers on September 17, 18 and 20. If those matches are moved to Ahmedabad, then Motera would host a total of nine matches: six qualifiers in addition to the three group matches (double header on September 23 and another match on September 27).