No option but to cancel TV rights: BCCI

The Indian cricket board told the Madras High Court Friday it had no option but to cancel the telecast rights given to Zee TV for last year's Australian tour as it had its back to the wall.

Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI) counsel KK Venugopal contended before judge KP Sivasubramanian that the board was in a tight spot with Australia threatening to call off the series if the issue of telecasting rights was not resolved expeditiously.

"If Australia had abandoned the series, the ICC (International Cricket Council) would have blacklisted the BCCI," Venugopal maintained.

Besides, arguments on a petition filed by ESPN-STAR Sports in the Mumbai High Court against the award of the contract to Zee had not even commenced, while the question of sponsorship and distribution of revenue slots was yet to be resolved, counsel said.

Venugopal told the court that the BCCI decision was taken keeping in mind the overall interest of cricket.