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New Delhi, May 30: The Cricket Board (BCCI)
today was frantically trying to salvage the upcoming ODI series
against South Africa after Zee Television pulled out of the
five-year broadcast deal covering India's matches at neutral
venues. "We have decided to scrap the deal," Ashish Kaul, senior
vice-president of Zee Group, told newspersons. India were to
play three one-dayers against South Africa from June 26 to July
1 in Belfast besides another against host Ireland. The matches
were part of 25 games to be telecast by Zee under a $ 200,000
contract announced last year.
Kaul said "the attitude of the BCCI" was to
be blamed for the fall-out. "This is because of the double
standards adopted by the BCCI. While Nimbus (which holds the
telecast rights for matches played in India till 2008-09) were
given a hefty rebate on the renegotiated price, they have not
even bothered to discuss the issue with us," he said.
"Also, apart from the Ireland and Scotland
matches, they have not intimated us the whole calendar."
Earlier, the BCCI had agreed to share the losses on its
four-year deal with Nimbus arising out of the recently
introduced Sports Broadcast Bill and the agreement, worth $
619,000, was slashed down by 12 per cent.
It may be noted that Zee's launch recently of
the Indian Cricket League did not go down well with the BCCI
bosses. BCCI vice-president Lalit Modi, in charge of the Board's
marketing, refused to take queries when contacted over phone.
(Agencies)
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