TWI gets production rights

TWI will produce live feed for Pak's tour of India. The 3 Tests and 6 ODIs would be telecast on DD.

Trans World International (TWI) on Tuesday bagged the production rights for the Pakistan cricket series even though the Indian cricket board failed to take a decision on award of overseas and satellite rights for the high profile series.

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TWI was awarded the rights to produce live feed for telecast of the matches on Doordarshan in an emergency meeting of the BCCI working committee, which met in New Delhi following the Madras High Court's interim order last week that paved the way for telecast of the matches.

"After evaluating the offers received by the board for the television production for the series, the house unanimously decided to grant the rights to TWI," BCCI president Ranbir Singh Mahendra told reporters.

"TWI's offer is $1.5 million which we are negotiating," he added.

The meeting, however, could not reach a decision on award of satellite overseas rights and Indian terrestrial and satellite rights for the series.

"Prasar Bharti is saying that they have been authorised by the Madras High Court with regard to the terestrial 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 members authorised the president of BCCI to take a decision in this regard and I may take the assistance of one or two BCCI members and lawyers," he said.

On the overseas satellite rights, Mahendra said, "The board will take a decision in this regard in the next 48 hours."

TWI, which got the production rights, had earlier handled the TV production of Indian cricket from 1993 to 1999.