TWI wins India-Pak cricket series production rights

For a few anxious days, it seemed cricket fans across the country might actually miss out Sachin Tendulkar taking on Pakistani bowlers live on television. Disaster has been averted as the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) has awarded the production rights of the high profile India-Pakistan cricket series to Trans World International (TWI).

This clears the hurdle towards telecasting the series live in India. However, cricket fans across the world will have to wait for some time before the stalemate over overseas telecasting and satellite rights in overseas market is broken.

The series will be telecast live in Doordarshan with the TWI producing the feed. The decision was taken in an emergency meeting of the BCCI working committee in New Delhi on Tuesday following the Madras High Court's interim order last week that resolved the deadlock and paved the way for live telecast of the matches. TWI had earlier handled the TV production of Indian cricket between 1993 and 1999.

Board has been offered $1.5 million by TWI, which is under negotiation, says BCCI president Ranbir Singh Mahendra. The meeting, however, could not reach a decision on awarding satellite overseas rights and Indian terrestrial and satellite rights for the series.

"Prasar Bharti is saying that it has been authorised by the Madras High Court with regard to the terrestrial and satellite rights in the country. But the working committee, after consultation with BCCI legal counsel, did not agree with the interpretation of Prasar Bharti," Mahendra said. The board will take a decision in this regard in the next 48 hours on the overseas satellite rights, he added.

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