Agencies

The Indian Premier League finally has a tentative schedule. The Indian cricket board (BCCI) wants the league to begin on September 26 (a Saturday) and conclude on November 8 (Sunday) � a period of 44 days to host 60 games.

Broadcaster Star India and the franchises are reported to have reservations about this �constricted scheduling�.

According to industry sources, Star wants to make optimum use of Diwali week in a bid to rake in advertisements in this lean times. Diwali is on November 14 , a saturday and stars want to conclude this weekend Those opposing BCCI�s timetable say it�ll mean more afternoon matches, which would affect visibility and ratings.