Lalit Modi has insisted the attack on the Sri Lankan team on tour in Pakistan will not impact this year's IPL tournament.
Security team prepared for all possibilities ahead of tournament
Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi believes this year's tournament will go ahead as planned - despite the attack on the Sri Lankan team in Pakistan.
Seven players were injured, as well as coach Paul Farbrace,
after gunmen opened fire on Sri Lanka's team bus close to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Captain Mahela Jayawardene and vice-captain Kumar Sangakkara were amongst those hurt. The tour was immediately called off.
Despite the incident, Modi is confident the 2009 IPL campaign - which is scheduled to begin on April 10 - will not be affected.
"The IPL will go ahead as planned and I don't visualise any impact on it," Modi told
NDTV.
"There are a few dates which will change due to the general elections and a few of the games will be shifted around. But we will get under way on April 10."
Safety measures
An IPL security team had already been set up and Modi insists they are prepared for all possible situations following the terror attacks that took place in Mumbai last November.
"We have already put in place several measures following the Mumbai terror attacks," he added.
"We have already taken into account these kinds of attacks in our plans.
"There is always a remote chance that it may happen and therefore the agency which we have engaged have based their plans on several unrealistic but possible incidents happening in the future.
"We are fully prepared and we are going to be making sure that we are on top of security issues on a day-to-day basis.
"The Indian government is also very serious about security so for us, it's a very big issue."
