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'No closed-circuit telecast of Pak series'
"No alternative of closed-circuit telecast is being discussed. If there is no telecast, the series will be called off," Ranbir S Mahendra said.
There will be no closed-circuit television coverage of the upcoming home series against Pakistan if there is no live telecast of the series — meaning it would be off — Indian cricket board Ranbir Singh Mahendra said on Tuesday.
"No alternative of closed-circuit telecast of the series is being discussed at the moment. If there is no telecast, the series will be called off," Mahendra said.
The high-profile series is in imminent danger of being cancelled due to a directive by the Madras High Court on the awarding of telecast rights.
The court is hearing a petition by Zee Telefilms Ltd. challenging the cancellation of a four-year television rights contract awarded to it by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The court has stopped the BCCI from awarding the telecast rights for the Pakistan series till it disposes of the Zee plea.
The television — or third — umpire requires television replays to judge decisions which the on-field umpires refer them to him during Tests and one-day internationals.
A similar situation had prevailed before the Australian tour of India last year when the award of telecast rights was contested ESPN-STAR Sports and Zee.
At that time too, the BCCI had planned to telecast live the four-Test series via close-circuit television for the third umpire as live telecast is mandatory for all Tests and ODIs as per International Cricket Council (ICC) rules.
The Supreme Court had then allowed the Australian, as also the South African series that followed, to be telecast by state-owned Prasar Bharati as part of an interim judgement.
"This time, however, the BCCI is taking a tough stand because, unlike in September, when the new BCCI office bearers were restricted by the Supreme Court from discharging their duties, now the new team is in place and can afford to take such a stand," said a board official.
In September, Zee had won the contract for $308 million for telecasting all international cricket that would be played in India in the next four years. The BCCI, however, annulled the contract after ESPN-STAR Sports challenged this in the Bombay High Court.
Zee then approached the Supreme Court, which February 2 dismissed its petition but said the channel could file a special leave petition against the Bombay High Court judgment before an appropriate bench.
Zee then approached the Madras High Court.
