14 Mar 2009

Indian government wants IPL dates changed over security

6:51 am on 14 March 2009

India's government has raised fresh security concerns and asked the country's cricket board to revise match dates for the Indian Premier League to avoid a clash of dates with the general election.

The Ministry of Home Affairs said the league, planned from April 10 to May 24, would have to reschedule match dates for a second time because many regional governments had said they would find it tough to spare security forces who would be busy due to the poll, a month-long affair starting on April 16.

Security concerns have shot up over the league, involving many international players, after gunmen attacked the Sri Lanka cricket team in Pakistan last week, injuring six players and killing seven Pakistanis in the ambush to trigger worldwide concerns sport could become a target of similar attacks.