Gibbs welcomes IPL shift

New Delhi, March 22: The Indian Premier League moving out of India has broken the hearts of many cricket fans in the country. One man though looking forward to a possible IPL shift to South Africa, is Deccan Chargers’ batsman Herschelle Gibbs.

Gibbs said that the IPL would be welcomed with open arms in South Africa. “I think any form of T20 cricket is a crowd puller in South Africa because it is so spectator friendly. “The IPL is a very professionally run tournament and it will be a hit anywhere in the world,” Gibbs told this newspaper from Cape Town.

The 35-year-old opening batsman though sympathised with Indian fans, who would miss out on the cricketing extravaganza.

“I am sure there will be disappointment in India and I can’t predict whether the stadium will be jam-packed like the last time around. But I believe if the tournament does move to South Africa, we’ll see a lot of Indians flying down here,” he said.

On performing in front of home fans for the Deccan Chargers, Gibbs said, “It will be a completely different experience for me. The grounds here are a lot smaller than those in India, but there will be a lot of support for everyone.