Cricket: It isn't in India but the show will go on

Chairman of the Indian Premier League Lalit Modi and South Africa cricket boss Gerald Majola during a news conference in Johannesburg. Photo / AP

What do you call an Indian Twenty20 tournament played in South Africa?

Why the IPLPISA, of course: the Indian Premier League Played In South Africa.

Newlands in Cape Town is a spectacular setting, but it's not Eden Gardens in Kolkata with 60,000 boisterous Indians in attendance.

Durban has a large Indian population, but it's not Delhi. Still the show will go on, the IPL you have when you're not in I.

South Africa beat England for the hosting job largely because it has better weather in April-May, but also because it will be less expensive to run there.

The change of venue is down to security concerns in India in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks late last year, combined with the coming Indian elections taking police priority.

The start date has been moved back from April 10 by eight days and the league condensed to five weeks, finishing on May 24, but with the same number of games.

For those keen to tune in New Zealand it'll mean a change in viewing habits.

No more 2am starts. Instead they'll watch the Bangalore Royal Challengers tackling the Deccan Chargers over cornflakes and toast.

India's champion batsman Sachin Tendulkar's thoughts were for the fans.

"We will certainly miss playing in front of our supporters. It won't be the same," the Mumbai Indians captain said yesterday in a massive understatement.

New Zealand captain, and Delhi Daredevils spinner Dan Vettori had a similar sentiment.

"It's disappointing it's not in India. The guys love going over there, but now there's some surety where we're going."

He recalled that the inaugural world Twenty20 championship in South Africa two years ago was a success and reckoned the "pull of major players going there should make it as good a tournament as it was in India".

"The South African crowds can put on a show. It'll take a little bit away but the most important thing is that the games are being played."

IPL boss Lalit Modi described the decision by the Board of Control for Cricket in India as "one of the hardest [it] has had to take".

Sorting out how the financial cake gets sliced is the next issue. But Modi, no doubt through gritted teeth, has assured South Africa it will benefit from hosting the show, before banging on about the event "binding our nations even closer".

New Zealand's test players going to the IPLPISA, Vettori, Ross Taylor, Jesse Ryder, Kyle Mills and Brendon McCullum, have one small bonus out of the change.

They were to fly to India the day after the third and final test against India ends at the Basin Reserve next month.

Instead they'll have a few days to put their feet up.