India moves cricket tournament overseas amid security concerns

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
The Indian Premier League will be held overseas this season because of security concerns since it coincides with the country's general elections. Some players and officials had expressed concerns about playing on the subcontinent after a terrorist attack on Sri Lanka's cricket team in Lahore, Pakistan earlier this month. India was also the target of a terror attack in Mumbai in November which left 164 people dead and forced the cancelation of the first Champions League Twenty20 tournament for provincial teams from five countries. Shashank Manohar, India's cricket chief, said Sunday that organizers were looking for a venue outside India for the IPL's second season after the government refused to approve the tournament schedule because security forces would be occupied with the elections. The 59-match tournament is to be held April 10 to May 24, while the elections for the lower house of India's Parliament will take place across the country in five different phases between April 16 and May 13.