IPL to resume on Saturday after India-Pakistan ceasefire

Bengaluru - The Indian Premier League (IPL), suspended for a week after fighting between India and Pakistan, will resume on May 17 after the announcement of a ceasefire between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

The IPL governing council took the decision to suspend the tournament last Friday after consulting franchises and players as India and Pakistan extended their worst fighting in nearly three decades.

The IPL still has 12 group matches left, which will be played in the cities of Bengaluru, Jaipur, Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

“After extensive consultations with government and security agencies, and with all the key stakeholders, the board has decided to proceed with the remainder of the season,” India’s cricket board (BCCI) said.

“A total of 17 matches will be played across six venues, starting on May 17 and culminating in the final on June 3. The revised schedule includes two double-headers, which will be played on two Sundays.

“Venue details for the playoff matches will be announced later.”

An IPL match in Dharamsala on May 8 was abandoned mid-match when organisers cited a power outage, while another game at the same north Indian city was shifted to Ahmedabad because of the border tension before being postponed.

A number of non-Indian players left the country after the league’s suspension.

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) has yet to announce a date for its resumption.

The Pakistan Cricket Board initially decided to move the last eight PSL games to the United Arab Emirates, but last week said it had postponed the matches on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

India and Pakistan have clashed since India struck multiple locations in Pakistan that it said were “terrorist camps” in retaliation for the deadly attack in its troubled region of Kashmir in April, in which it said Islamabad was involved.

Pakistan denied the accusation but both countries exchanged cross-border firing and shelling, sent drones and missiles into each other's airspace and left dozens of people dead.

A fragile ceasefire was holding between the neighbours on Sunday after the agreement was reached a day earlier after diplomacy and pressure from the US.

Cricket Australia said on Tuesday it is working with its government and the Indian board on security arrangements with several players set to make a decision on whether to return to the IPL when it resumes.

The delay has left some Australian players such as Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Inglis with a quick turnaround for their World Test Championship (WTC) final against the Proteas at Lord’s that begins on June 11.

“Following the announcement that the Indian Premier League will resume on Saturday, Cricket Australia will support players in their individual decisions whether to return to India,” Cricket Australia said.

“Team management will work through preparation implications for the WTC Final for those players who choose to play in the remaining IPL matches.

“We are maintaining communication with the Australian government and BCCI around security arrangements and safety.”

Reuters