IPL to announce new host and schedule on Monday

The new Indian Premier League (IPL) hosts along with the schedule will be announced on Monday evening. "We will have the final schedule and which country will host the IPL by tomorrow evening," Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, said. "We have multiple schedules, multiple venues, multiple countries available to us. Now we just need to reschedule the matches. Each team will have a home in another country, another state and another stadium."

Modi firmly stood by the BCCI's decision to stage the second edition outside India, with England or South Africa heavily tipped to be the new host. He also said there's no chance of hosting the final leg of games in India. However, Modi assured Indian fans that the tournament would be back on home soil the next year.

"It will continue to be the Indian Premier League, unfortunately we cannot play it in India because of election issues this year and it will be back in India next year," Modi said. "We have to ensure continuity of the tournament. There is no other time for the league to be held this year. So, it is important that the league goes forward. It is a domestic tournament being held at an international venue.

"We explored all possibilities of moving the semi-finals and final to India. But it would have been too exhausting for the players. Players have to go back to England for the World Twenty20 (beginning on June 5)."

Modi dismissed claims that the organisers' desperation to hold the event was prompted by financial concerns. "It's not about money," he said. "We are going to be spending a lot more in holding the IPL out of the country. We will probably make no profit but that is not the concern.

"Loss is not an issue, so don't bring it up. We are not concerned about profit. Our issue is to make sure that all fans get to watch the highest quality of cricket wherever it needs to be played."

He said having a truncated IPL was never an option. "It cannot be a truncated tournament," he said. "It doesn't make sense to have truncated tournament. We understand the sensitivity regarding elections in India and taking into account that sensitivity, we have decided to move the tournament overseas."

He added that Pakistan players will still not be allowed to take part, despite the tournament being moved out of India. "IPL announced the squads 30 days in advance," Modi said. "No changes are allowed in that. Unfortunately, no Pakistan player will play this year."