Indian Premier League

IPL opener at Newlands in doubt

The Indian Premier League has run into rough weather in South Africa after a dispute over the use of member suites at the Newlands Cricket ground, according to a newspaper report.

The Newlands is scheduled to host the opening match of the second edition of the IPL between the Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians on April 18. The ground will host eight matches in all.

The senior management of Newlands cricket ground and the Western Province Cricket Association have been locked in meetings with representatives of the IPL after the management the ground asked all suiteholders and club members to forego their rights to the suites during the tournament, according to the Cape Argus, an afternoon newspaper published from Cape Town.

Urgent meetings were called on Monday at the offices of the WP Cricket Association, where the association met with senior representatives of Cricket South Africa and the IPL.

Meanwhile, Western Province Cricket Club members have been told by their representatives, who have also held meetings with senior stakeholders, that the club intended seeking “urgent relief from any unlawful restrictions or regulations placed on it”.

Many club members who had queued outside the stadium on Monday to collect their tickets received SMSes saying no tickets would be available until further notice, the report said.

Tags: IPL, Lalit Modi, Newlands, South Africa