The Board of Control for Cricket in India's patience finally ran out, forcing it to shift the second season of the Indian Premier league out of India.
BCCI president Shashank Manohar said it was because of the attitude of the government that they were forced to take the decision.
"Because of the attitude of the government that they are not ready to spare security forces for the cricket tournament... we are forced to take the decision to move the event out of India," Manohar told newspersons in Mumbai on Sunday.
IPL commissioner Lalit Modi tried his level best to convince the Home Ministry that they would take care of the security, but the government turned down the offer saying the Lok Sabha polls take precedence over cricket.
Finally, after days of hectic negotiations and re-working the schedule more than 40 times, Modi decided enough was enough!
While the government did not want to take chances with the security after the attack by gunmen on Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore, it also lost a lot of revenue and a chance to show that the country is a safe place to host sports events, keeping in mind next year's Commonwealth Games.
The BCCI also apologised to fans, saying the government had left them with no other option. It made it clear that a lot of money was at stake and the Board along with the franchises and broadcasters could not afford to lose so much.
The city based-model of the tournament was created with a view to create fan loyalty, with each team playing home and away matches. But with the tournament shifting out of the country, that concept has been rendered meaningless and it would be interesting to see how fans in some other country react to supporting teams from cities like Mumbai, Punjab or Kolkata.
Who do you blame for depriving Indian fans of the high-octane action in the IPL, which was a mega success in its first year?
Do you think the BCCI acted sensibly by shifting the tournament out of India? Is the Home Ministry right in not allowing the IPL to be held in middle of the elections?
