England ready to host IPL if asked to: ECB

England is ready to host the Indian Premier League if asked to by the IPL officials, the country's Cricket Board chief Giles Clarke said today.

Speaking on 'BBC Radio 5 Live's Sportsweek programme', ECB Chairman Giles Clarke said he is willing to help his Indian counterparts and will discuss the matter soon with IPL organisers.

"We have a very good relationship with the BCCI if they need any help on matters," he said. "We normally talk to them a great deal and we would be delighted to help again."

South Africa is another possible venue and its cricket board chief Gerald Majola has confirmed IPL officials approaching them for possibility of hosting the Twenty20 event.

Minister for Sport Gerry Sutcliffe expressed confidence that England could host IPL even at a short notice. "I'm sure it would be possible (to stage the IPL in England)," he said.

"We have picked up lots of experience recently of hosting world-class events and the ECB can do that," Sutcliffe said.

International Cricket Council President David Morgan was, however, taken by surprise at the news of IPL shifting outside India and felt it would be difficult for any country to stage the event at such short notice.

"That is quite surprising news, they have had real difficulties with the elections on in India," he said. "I honestly don't know (where it will be staged) but the rumours were that South Africa was a likely relocation destination but there has been nothing official.

"It's the beginning of the season in England and Wales and there is a lot of Twenty20 cricket being played including the ICC World Twenty20. I do think there will be great difficulties in relocating it."