Move to shift IPL ties to small towns hailed

The Indian Premier League (IPL) organisers’ move to shift matches to small towns like Rajkot, Nagpur and Baroda has found favour from former Test cricketers like Praveen Amre and Kiran More.

Former Indian middle order batsman and Mumbai Ranji Trophy coach Praveen Amre praised the IPL commissioner Lalit Modi’s intentions to shift some of the matches to small centres as it gives the spectators over there to watch international players rub shoulders with each other.

"I think it is a fantastic idea because the spectators from small towns get an opportunity to soak-in the Twenty20 atmosphere. Their dream of seeing two of the world’s most destructive batsmen like Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya play for the same team will be realized. And even from the point of security it will be easier to secure a city like Nagpur or Baroda than to spread security blankets on big cities," Amre told on Friday.

"I also respect the fears of the Central Government as the elections always need tight security. Also IPL is just a year-old baby, which has created a huge response world over, and if something goes wrong due to lack of security it might become very tough for the organizers to convince foreign players or their boards to send them back next year.

No player would like to go through what the Sri Lankans went through in Pakistan," he added.

Source: Cricnext
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