Two-leg IPL could have been held in India - minister

The 2009 season of the IPL could have been held in India had the tournament's organisers listened to suggestions and not put pressure on the government, India's home minister P Chidambaram has said. The Twenty20 tournament was shifted to South Africa after the Indian government said it could not guarantee adequate security because of a clash of dates with the country's general elections.

"We could have done it [held the tournament in India], but only if they [IPL officials] had reflected on the concerns of the police and not tried to pressurise the [state] chief ministers," Chidambaram told the news channel CNN-IBN. "I am not letting out any secret by that. If they had only listened to the concerns of the police, this tournament could have been played in two parts. First the league part and then give a break for the critical three or four week period and then the knock-out part."

"But they were trying to be too clever by putting the pressure on chief ministers and ultimately the police told the chief ministers that 'sorry, we cannot provide security'."

However, the IPL organisers had said that it was not possible to play the tournament in two parts because of a clash with the World Twenty20 in England in June and a packed international schedule thereafter. The IPL was initially scheduled to be held in India between April 10 and May 24; it will now start in South Africa on April 18.