Shilpa Shetty, co-owner of the Rajasthan Royals, has backed South Africa to host the Indian Premier League next season.
Shilpa Shetty, co-owner of the Rajasthan Royals, has backed South Africa to host the Indian Premier League Season Two.
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England and South Africa were declared front runners to host the mega event after the Board of Control for Cricket in India decided to shift the twenty20 tournament out of India due to security concerns.
IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi was due to arrive in Johannesburg today for discussions with Cricket South Africa and with South African government officials, while a separate team was on its way to England for similar discussions with the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Shetty said she believed South Africa had the edge due to its weather conditions.
"Whichever place is suitable for the game and will make the game entertaining should be chosen," Shetty told NDTV.
"England seems difficult at the moment because of the weather and South Africa seems more likely."
The BCCI moved the tournament out of India after state police refused to provide security during the Indian general elections.
Shetty said the choice of moving the tournament was a hard one, but it was the right decision.
"If the choice had to be no tournament and a tournament in a different country, I would choose the latter - clearly choose the latter," she said.
"I think Modi has taken the right call and we can all breathe a sigh of relief that the tournament is going ahead.
"We are just happy after all the huge debate, discussions and uncertainty over the tournament.
"There was just too much money riding on the tournament and cancelling it was easier said than done.
"Postponing it was not an option because this is the only window open for international players."
Prior to his departure Modi said a decision on the venue would be taken by this evening.
"We have two teams working on this. One is headed to Johannesburg and the other to London," he said.
"We need to take a decision by tomorrow (Tuesday) one way or another looking at all the parameters."
Modi is also scheduled to travel to London from Johannesburg.
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