The English weather could be the determining factor against the relocated Indian Premier League being played in England after the tournament's chairman, Lalit Modi, expressed his concerns about rain affecting the six-week league.

Modi flew to Johannesburg last night to speak to Cricket South Africa (CSA) administrators about their prospects of hosting the tournament instead of England.

A final decision is expected on Wednesday, but Modi gave an indication of his feelings when he said: "We will have to evaluate clearly and carefully before coming to a decision about the venue. We need to take the weather pattern into consideration."

Reports last night suggested South Africa was Modi's preferred venue for the lucrative league as he seeks to find a quick resolution to the matter with the tournament due to begin in just 17 days' time.

Modi will assess the venues and logistics of holding the tournament in South Africa - before conducting similar checks in England tomorrow..

"England has easy connectivity, with a number of flights operating from India," he added.

"The country is also well prepared, because it will host the Twenty20 World Championship - and the County Championship too is going to start.

"Weather could be a problem - and moreover because of the London Marathon [on April 26], there could be a problem finding hotel rooms for some days. There's also the Test series between West Indies and England we have to take into account."

There are other factors which render South Africa a more attractive option including TV timings - South Africa is closer to India in terms of time zones - while the cost of holding the tournament is reportedly cheaper in the African nation.

Hampshire Cricket officials have already said they would be keen to stage IPL matches if the event comes to England.