By - Sanyukta Iyer

Mr. Lalit Modi, the commissioner of the Indian Premier League recently stated in context of IPL 3 that the new charters will be publicized on the 8th of March. The 12 cities hosting IPL 2010 are currently being judged and the list will be revealed on the 21st of February. One of those cities is our very own Pune. The chances of Pune hosting the IPL matches were soaring, but the recent blast at German Bakery has shaken the city and brought Pune into sudden unexpected limelight that may lead Pune into a risky place to host the coming IPL.

The cities in the fray however, are; Ahmadabad, Nagpur, Kanpur, Dharamsala, Indore, Cuttack, Gwalior and Visakhapatnam, all of which have existing and well maintained stadiums. And Rajkot, Pune, Vadodara and Kochi, that have new stadiums under construction.

“The IPL wanted to ensure the new owners were identified prior to this year’s IPL start on the 12th of March, so that the new owners and management will get a feel of how franchises work during the season to prepare them for their debut in 2011,” stated Modi on his twitter page. The announcement comes amid speculation that existing contract owners are looking to divest all or some of their stake. Modi also said those interested in buying a part of or an entire franchise includes a top English football club, with the MCC also keen on getting involved with the league.

The Pune blast has added to their security concerns ahead of IPL-3 and the Australian cricketers are awaiting advice from the players’ Association to decide on travelling to India for the Twenty20 event.

Both Australia and the Cricketers’ Association say that a final decision has to be made by the players themselves and they will just issue an advice after learning about the impact of the terror strike. Australian cricket’s security adviser Mr. Reg Dickason, is investigating the attack and will craft his recommendation by this week. He stated, “Our independent security company is investigating what impact this attack may have on our players participating in the IPL, so we’re waiting for that advice.” Meanwhile, IPL chairman Mr. Lalit Modi had a different proposition. He gave an impression that the shock attack will not have any effect on the play-offs and that the players will stand cohesive. On the other hand, CA spokesman Peter Young said the players would be given advice whenever they requested, even upon arrival in India and throughout the IPL. Young also said, “We don’t have any say on whether players stay or go. Our players have that choice to make individually. In making their choice, they are informed as they need to be.”

We live in an increasingly uncertain world. There is a formal process we apply consistently, and we will be doing that as usual. But having the IPL in Pune would be a memory especially when a stadium is being constructed for the same.