Cricket may boost South African economy

The second season of the star-studded, multimillion-dollar Indian Premier League was moved to South Africa after concerns over security in India. The five-week tournament will feature many of the world's leading players who have been snapped up by eight franchises.   Moving the IPL show to South Africa could help boost its economy, which shrank in the last quarter of 2008 for the first time in ten years, and could be facing possible recession.   England had been an initial favourite to host the IPL, but worries about the weather and possible large tax demands have prompted the IPL to move the event to South Africa, which also hosts next year's Fifa World Cup football tournament.   When IPL supremo Lalit Modi revealed in March that the tournament was leaving India he said that "anybody in a recession would want to have us."   It has been estimated that the IPL, British and Irish Lions rugby tour and Fifa Confederations Cup tournament this June could provide a $200 million revenue boost for South Africa this summer.   The IPL season will feature 59 games running until 24 May, with the opening game in Cape Town. Other South African cities hosting games are East London, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Bloemfontein, Kimberley, Johannesburg and Pretoria.   Grant Haskin, executive deputy mayor of Cape Town, told the BBC, "There will be a favourable economic impact for Cape Town. We have not had a chance to measure it yet, because there has been such a short space of time between the announcement the IPL was coming here and the season starting.   "There is the obvious tourism angle - the IPL is bringing fans from across the globe and across the country to Cape Town and the other cricket venues."   Haskin said the tournament would increase the media profile of Cape Town and South Africa across all of Asia - "not just India, but also places like China and Japan and other countries, from where we are getting a growing number of tourists.  "As well as the immediate economic benefit coming from the cricket, it will also show the world that we can stage big international events without problems, and that will help with selling next year's soccer World Cup," he said.   Haskin added that the various procurement processes around the IPL was giving valuable tendering experience to small up and coming businesses.   "Of course, not all of the tenders are successful, but it gives them experience in case they want to get involved with the 2010 World Cup. Holding the IPL here is strengthening our entrepreneurial spirit."   Tickets for the two double-headers in Cape Town this weekend sold out inside two hours.