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NEW DELHI South Africa is to host the second season of the Indian Premier League competiton in April and May, Indian TV reported on Tuesday.
The IPL was shifted out of India when the government declined to provide adequate security for the tournament because the dates clashed with the general elections from April 16 to May 13, according to AFP.
The high-profile tournament, featuring the worlds top players in eight teams owned by Bollywood cinema stars and Indias leading industrialists, is to start on April 17, TV reports said.
IPL commissioner Lalit Modi and Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief executive Gerald Majola are due to confirm details at a media conference in Johannesburg later Tuesday.
South Africa was chosen over England, the other contender, even before Modi held talks with officials of the England and Wales Cricket Board in London, scheduled for Wednesday.
The expected wet and cool weather in England in April, problems over hotel accommodation and television rights and a busy domestic calendar were the reasons why the IPL opted for South Africa, reports said.
South Africa will be less likely to be affected by rain than England during the tournament period and with a dollar worth almost 10 rand it was an attractive option currency wise.
Dominant South African sports channel SuperSport holds the IPL rights, clearing a huge hurdle in a competition created to feed a massive Indian appetite for cricket.
A CSA source told AFP that another factor favouring South Africa was government assurances that visas would be processed swiftly and that the cricket show would be afforded 'red carpet treatment'.
Majola and Modi have developed a close personal relationship through various cricket projects, including the formation of the Twenty20 Champions League last year.
With the IPL opting for South Africa, the country becomes the centre of the cricket world with Australia touring until April 17 and a 12-nation qualifying tournament for the 2011 World Cup scheduled to start next week.
The International Cricket Councils eight-nation Champions Trophy, the second biggest tournament after the World Cup, will also be held in South Africa in September-October.
