Cash prizes for best pitch, outfield: IPL

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to announce cash prizes for the state association that will come up with the "best pitch" and "best outfield" for the Twenty20 tournament starting April 18.

Confirming that a proposal for cash prizes has been prepared, Daljit Singh, IPL's ground and pitches committee head, said the Twenty20 tournament organisers are looking at surfaces that will have "good carry and pace."

The IPL is also bringing in Adelaide curator Les Burdett to Mohali to conduct a two-day seminar from March 11 for curators from various match venues, said Daljit.

"We want good tracks that suit Twenty20 cricket. If a team batting first can score 180 and the team chasing wins or gets close, it would be good," he said.

IS Bindra, IPL's Infrastructure Committee head, said the match venues will match international standards by World Cup 2011. "Post-IPL, work will continue to transform these stadiums into model arenas that will be showcased during the World Cup," said Bindra.