Hyderabad not to host IPL matches

Hyderabad, home to the Deccan Chargers, will not host any IPL matches in the third season of the tournament following a decision of the league to shift all matches scheduled to be held in the state. However, the decision - a response to a separatist movement in Andhra Pradesh that has seen sporadic violence - has sparked outrage in the state and in Hyderabad, the capital, with the regional government demanding a rethink.

Deccan's first game, the tournament opener, had already been shifted to Mumbai on the grounds that it needed extra preparation. The six remaining games - four in Hyderabad and two in the coastal city of Visakhapatnam - have been distributed between Mumbai and Nagpur, Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman, confirmed on his Twitter page.

Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium will host Deccan's tournament opener on March 12. The next three, in March 19, 21 and 28, will be played at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur and the last three back at the DY Patil Stadium on April 5, 10 and 12.

Modi's announcement was followed almost immediately by furious reactions in Hyderabad. The state sports minister, K Venkata Reddy, said the IPL had a 24-hour deadline to reverse its decision; he also repeated an earlier call to the Deccan Chargers to boycott the tournament if the decision stayed.

G Vinod, president of the Hyderabad Cricket Association - a full member of the BCCI board - said it had not been consulted by either the IPL or the Indian board about the move. "We are yet to understand why Hyderabad is out of the IPL," he told reporters. "I request Mr Modi to reconsider his decision." He said he agreed with the minister that the decision was an "insult" to the people of the state.

This past week had seen several reports of IPL matches being moved out of Hyderabad. Concerns over the political situation in Andhra Pradesh have already resulted in the shifting of an ODI between India and Sri Lanka from Visakhapatnam last December, and two ODIs scheduled for Hyderabad, during England women's tour of India in February-March, have now been split between Bangalore and Mumbai. Also, spectators were barred from entering the stadium for the first two days of the Duleep Trophy final between West Zone and South Zone in Hyderabad because of a perceived security threat.

Deccan are the defending champions, having beaten Royal Challengers Bangalore in the final in South Africa last year. The result was a total turnaround from their last-placed finish in the inaugural edition in 2008.