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IPL will benefit South Africa's economy - Modi


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IPL will benefit South Africa's economy - Modi Indian Premier League 2009 Cricinfo staff March 24, 2009 Gerald Majola and Lalit Modi are confident of delivering a world-class tournament © AFP Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, has said the South African economy will benefit enormously from staging the lucrative Twenty20 tournament. Speaking at a press conference in Johannesburg, Modi suggested the influx of players, coaches, support staff, media and spectators would inject many millions into South Africa over the league's five-week duration. "At any given point of time, we have 10,000 people working on this tournament," Modi told reporters. "South Africa will be benefitted a lot. We will be consuming 30,000 rooms in hotels and 10,000 airline tickets for the purpose of this tournament. Irrespective of the cost, we are happy to go forward in incurring the cost because cricket is very important for us, and all our club owners are with us. "We have a lot of hard work before the first match starts on April 18, but with CSA's help we will deliver a world-class event. There will be a lot of people disappointed that the tournament will not take place in India, but being in South Africa it will allow fans to watch games live on TV screens in India. "We would like to thank Cricket South Africa very much for the support they have given us over the past few days, which has helped us to come to this decision. The South African public loves T20 cricket and CSA successfully hosted the inaugural ICC World T20. Both these factors weighed heavily in South Africa's favour, and we look forward to a successful and exciting tournament being held at venues throughout South Africa." Gerald Majola, the chief executive of Cricket South Africa, was confident that, despite the tight timeframe in which to organise the tournament, the IPL's second season will prove a success. "This is a great compliment to both CSA and our nation to be shown this confidence in our ability to hold one of the world's top sporting events at short notice," Majola said. "The organisers can be assured that they have the full support of CSA's structures and the South African public to stage a successful tournament. "This event will strengthen the ties even further between South African and Indian cricket, as well as binding our nations even closer together. We are looking forward to hosting some of the world's best cricketers, and we can assure them they will be provided with the very best facilities to show their skills." © Cricinfo :giggle::giggle:

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Cricket extravaganza will bring R100m to SA Proteas skipper Graeme Smith is excited that the Indian Premier League will be held in South Africa, putting traditional rivals side by side for the Twenty20 tournament. More... Cricket extravaganza will bring R100m to SA March 25 2009 at 06:59AM By Zaahier Adams Proteas skipper Graeme Smith says it is "fantastic for the game" that the Indian Premier League will be held in South Africa. Smith, who plays for the IPL champions, the Rajasthan Royals, could not contain his excitement when Cricket South Africa chief executive Gerald Majola and IPL commissioner Lalit Modi confirmed South Africa as the host of the popular Twenty20 tournament. The tournament is scheduled to start on Saturday, April 18, at Newlands in Cape Town. 'I'm sure it will be huge success' "It is fantastic for the game in our country, and I'm sure it will be huge success," Smith told the Cape Times on Tuesday. "It's another opportunity for our country to showcase its beauty. A way for more feet to move through our doors. It will also be a huge financial boost to the provincial unions who keep the game going." Smith also wished to allay fears that South African fans might struggle to associate themselves with any of the eight franchises competing in the six-week tournament. He believes the number of global stars on display and the standard of cricket will keep spectators enthralled. "I was in India last year and I saw how the tournament captured the people's imagination. They loved watching players who were traditional rivals play alongside each other," he said. "What also amazed me was when I returned, how many South Africans had watched the tournament on television and the associations they had made with the respective teams. "The tournament will also bring along its unique Indian sub-culture which will be a great experience for our fans." 'It definitely does put me under more pressure' Smith was one of the leading run-scorers in last year's tournament, despite missing the thrilling final against the Chennai Super Kings through injury. He seemed to thrive on the relative lack of responsibility and also struck up a rapport with Royals skipper and Australian legend Shane Warne. With the tournament now being staged in South Africa, will he now be expected to have more input in the decision-making because of his knowledge of the conditions? "It definitely does put me under more pressure. Last year I could just do my thing as a player," said Smith. "I have already received calls from Warney, so I will most likely have more of a leadership role." Meanwhile, Proteas sensation JP Duminy shared his captain's enthusiasm. Duminy did not play in the maiden IPL season, but will enter this year's tournament as South Africa's most expensive player. The Mumbai Indians bought the classy left-hander for R9,5-million. "I was kind of looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere of the Indian crowds, but I am excited the tournament will be in South Africa. I am just glad the tournament is going ahead," Duminy said. Meanwhile, Stuart Hess reports that CSA is set to earn close to R100-million for agreeing to stage the IPL event. Various sources said on Tuesday night that CSA stood to earn between "R70-million and R90-million" for staging the event. The amount will be paid as a flat fee and the venues - most likely the six major Test grounds - will not earn money directly from ticket sales or suite sales. The CSA board will meet on Wednesday to thrash out the details of the deal.

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