Wanderers in doubt for hosting IPL matches

May 22nd, 2009 JOHANNESBURG - The Indian Premier League (IPL) has withdrawn accreditation for a number of journalists for the finals of the series that will be played at the Wanderers here this weekend, citing oversubscription. 'If you have not been explicitly notified that your application for accreditation for the final three IPL matches has been granted, this means that you do not have accreditation for these matches,' Trevor Jones, media director of Magna-Carta, the company handling media relations here for the IPL, said in an e-mail.

May 18th, 2009 JOHANNESBURG - Indian Premier League (IPL) has come as a windfall for jobless youth in South Africa. The 37-day tournament has not only provided the unemployed here some work, but also saved youth from being sucked into gang wars.

May 14th, 2009 DUBAI - The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rejected the legal claims of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on hosting matches of the 2011 Cricket World Cup (ICC CWC). ICC said it has formally responded to PCB's legal notice, seeking to clarify factual inaccuracies and misunderstandings in the PCB's claim.

April 28th, 2009 MUMBAI - The International Cricket Council (ICC) Tuesday shifted the 2011 World Cup secretariat to Mumbai from Lahore and said India will host 29 matches in the quadrennial event. The move comes after ICC removed Pakistan as the co-hosts of the World Cup due to the volatile security situation there.

April 24th, 2009 JOHANNESBURG - In a move that could be a reflection of waning interest after the initial hype, Indian Premier League (IPL) organisers who laid claim to all suites at all South African stadiums where the IPL games will be played, have released the suites at Buffalo Park in East London, a day after inking a final agreement with Wanderers Stadium owners here. The IPL insistence on suites for its guests, including Bollywood celebrities, businessmen and even some politicians expected to attend IPL games over the next few weeks caused a stir with suite holders at stadia who had paid hefty prices upfront for the privilege of hosting their own guests at these suites during the cricket season.

April 23rd, 2009 58 stadiums interested in hosting World CupNEW YORK — The operators of 58 stadiums have expressed interest in hosting games in the 2018 or 2022 World Cup if the United States wins the bidding for either event. The venues represent 49 metropolitan areas and include 30 of the 31 NFL stadiums — only Candlestick Park in San Francisco is not on the list.

April 18th, 2009 CAPE TOWN - The second semi-final and the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be played at the Wanderers in Johannesburg after all, following an agreement reached between the tournament organisers and the Gauteng Cricket Board (GCB) over the sharing of suites. In the run-up to the 37-day tourney there were fears that the semi-final and the final would be moved out of Johannesburg due to the dispute between IPL and GCB, owners of the Wanderers, over the sharing of VIP suites.

April 11th, 2009 SINGAPORE - Japan is to bid for hosting the 2015 and 2019 Rugby World Cups with a proposal to play the matches in 10 Japanese cities as well as Singapore and Hong Kong, according to a report in the Straits Times Saturday. If Japan wins the bid, Singapore would host five matches, the report said.

March 28th, 2009 JOHANNESBURG - 'What cannot be changed has to be endured,' Bollywood actress and Rajasthan Royals owner told a press conference here Friday ahead of the IPL series in South Africa from April 18. Shetty made a whistlestop visit from London as the Rajasthan Royals became the first IPL team to announce plans for the second edition of the hugely successful series which will be played out in South Africa because of security concerns in India.

March 23rd, 2009 LONDON - Indian Premier League (IPL) boss Lalit Modi was expected here Monday amid reports that the English cricket board was ready to stage IPL matches without any disruption to its domestic schedule. 'The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is confident that it can play all 59 matches of the IPL - scheduled to run from 10 April to May 24 - on major grounds without altering any fixtures that are already in place,' The Guardian reported.

March 18th, 2009 SYDNEY - The International Cricket Council (ICC) has suspended the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua from holding international matches for 12 months. ICC spokesman Brian Murgatroyd Tuesday said the world cricket body has demanded improvements in the stadium in St John's after the Test between West Indies and England was halted after just 10 balls because field conditions were deemed too dangerous for the players.

March 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A decision on the schedule of IPL matches will be taken only after concerned state governments give their responses to the revised schedule, Home Minister P. Chidambaram said here Wednesday.

March 17th, 2009 DUBAI - The International Cricket Council (ICC) Monday awarded the Champions Trophy to South Africa. The tournament will be held from Sept 24 to Oct 5 this year.

March 10th, 2009 MUMBAI - The second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will have Ahmedabad and Visakhapatnam as additional venues. Announcing this here Tuesday, IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi told reporters that Dharmasala and Nagpur were also being considered for hosting some matches.

February 28th, 2009 SYDNEY - South African cricketer Jacques Kallis has become the eighth player to join Test cricket' 10,000-run club in the first Test against Australia at Wanderers. 'It's really important I think,' Kallis said after Australia made 466 and South Africa went to stumps at 3-85 in reply, including 27 from Kallis.