South Africa new IPL frontrunners

Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi wants South Africa to stage the tournament, BBC Sport understands. Modi has arrived in South Africa as he evaluates the options available to the IPL following the decision to move the event because of security fears. He plans to visit both South Africa and England in the next 24 hours to "assess venues and the logistics". England had been the early favourites to stage the tournament following the decision to switch it from India. Modi said he had no choice but to move the event because India's government could not guarantee safety and security resources with national elections happening at the same time. England and Wales Cricket Board [ECB] chief executive David Collier plans to fly to London from the West Indies to hold talks with Modi later this week. But it now appears South Africa are in pole position to stage the lucrative Twenty20 competition, which is due to run from 10 April to 24 May, featuring 59 matches, eight teams and players from a host of countries. A final decision is expected on Wednesday, but Modi has indicated that there are drawbacks to staging the tournament in England. "Weather could be a problem," he told an Indian TV station. "Moreover because of the London Marathon (26 April) there could be a problem finding hotel rooms for some days. "There's also the Test series between West Indies and England we have to take into account." However, he added there were advantages to choosing England over South Africa. "England has easy connectivity, with a number of flights operating from India," he said. "The country is also well prepared, because it will host the World Twenty20 [in June]." There are other factors which render South Africa a more attractive option including TV timings - South Africa is closer to India in terms of time zones - while the cost of holding the tournament is reportedly cheaper in the African nation. The TV rights issue in South Africa is also more straightforward, with Supersport holding the rights to the IPL as well as international cricket in the country. That is not the case in England. BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew believes South Africa is the obvious choice. "They haven't got the sort of logistical problems that would happen in England," he said. "You could base teams at cricket grounds like Kimberley, Bloemfontein, East London, and play cricket on pitches that will have had a whole summer's warmth and preparation on them. "I have to say if I were a cricketer and I were organising this tournament, I'd certainly be heading for South Africa." Former South Africa captain Shaun Pollock, who played in the inaugural IPL and is an advisor to the Mumbai Indians, agrees his country has a strong case. He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "The advantage for us is that all our domestic cricket is finished and the stadiums are pretty vacant. All the facilities are available to be used. "The weather's also pretty good and I think the timeframe of the viewing will fit in nicely to the Indian schedule. So there's a lot of thing going for it, but who can say?" Cricket South Africa chief executive Gerald Majola told Radio 5 Live that his organisation was ready to help out if necessary. "Our approach to the entire matter is just to assist colleagues in dire need of assistance. That's all. We will see how we can assist them," he said. "We have good stadia, good facilities, good weather and good crowds for Twenty20 cricket." Majola plans to discuss precise details of the tournament when he meets Modi on Tuesday. "I still need to hear from him what his requirements are," he said. "As far as we know he still wants the tournament to start on the 10th and from our point of view that is feasible." Majola said that South Africa's own upcoming elections are not a concern as they last only one day as opposed to the month-long period that comprises the Indian schedule. Rajasthan Royals hope IPL stays in India He also claimed that South Africa's interest in hosting the tournament was not driven by financial concerns. "We haven't come to any agreements with them on financial matters," he said. "I've not met with Lalit yet to discuss those issues. Manoj Badale, co-owner of inaugural IPL champions Rajasthan Royals, says South Africa is his preferred destination but is still hopeful India could host the tournament. "Certainly based on the conversations I've had, if it goes outside of India you'd have to suggest South Africa is the likeliest venue," he told BBC sports editor Mihir Bose. "I'm amazed the Indian government is prepared to walk away from such a large event at a time when it's election season and £100m is a lot of money for any economy. "I'm still hoping a rapprochement is achieved and we see the tournament back in India." Badale, who lives in west London, says moving the tournament to England would be a risk because of the weather and the potential lack of crowds. "April is the start of the cricket season - it's cold and it's not a prime-time cricket-watching part of the season," he said. "Children are still at school, people aren't yet on holiday and people haven't really tuned into the cricket mentality here." But he said there were advantages to both England and South Africa staging the tournament. "The big plus for South Africa and England is you've got 2.4m South Asians in the UK and you've got about 1.2m South Asians in South Africa," he said. "Those would be the communities you would try to reach out to but there's only so much you can do in 18 days." In contrast, Somerset chairman Andy Nash said England was in good shape to host the tournament. "There is an awful lot yet to be worked out but, at the end of the day, England invented the Twenty20 format," he told Radio 5 Live. "Should it be possible to bring the IPL here, I'm sure there will be enormous crowds and a huge amount of interest. "Logistically it won't be simple but if the will is there it can be overcome, I'm sure. Cricket can achieve remarkable things if people work together. "Once the ECB are aware of the requirements of the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) and IPL, they will move heaven and earth to try to accommodate this."