Ten Sports gets Pakistan television rights

[~ArShAd~]

Karachi: The Dubai-based Ten Sports (Taj Entertainment Network) on Sunday signed a television rights deal with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) worth US$140.5 million for the next five years


With foreign teams refusing to come to Pakistan over security concerns, there were fears that television channels might bid at a lesser price, but PCB's chief operating officer Salim Altaf described the deal as "excellent'. "It is an excellent deal which will run from 2009 to 2013 for a period of five years and will start from our home series against India," Altaf told cricketnirvana.com

Ten Sports is owned by Gulf-based businessman Abdur Rehman Bukhatir, also held the Pakistan cricket rights from 2004 to 2008.The other bidders were Geo Super, Nimbus Sports and ARY Television network. During the first deal between 2004-2008, ARY were joint holders with Ten Sports. But both the organisations had a fall out.

The Ten Sports deal will also irk the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The cash-rich BCCI have openly told the PCB not to give the rights to Ten Sports because 60 percent share stake in the Dubai-based company is owned by Zee Television. Zee runs the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) and to complicate matters Ten Sports also telecasted the rebel matches in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. This 'act' by Ten also angered the BCCI.

Altaf however brushed aside the fears that BCCI-PCB relationship will be hit over the deal. He also said there were no fears of deal being hit due to lack of international cricket in Pakistan."The process of bidding is based on optimum situation which is that all teams will tour Pakistan as per schedule and if teams do not come we have the option of playing at neutral venue," said Altaf.

The first series in the new television deal will be Pakistan's home series against India. However the fate of India's team's visit hangs on New Delhi's clearnce for the tour which has come under a cloud over security fears.

Altaf said he hoped India will tour. "We have been preparing for the series in Pakistan and hope that India will tour," said Altaf of the tour in which India will play a side game, three Tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 international. India is due to arrive on January 4.

The cancellation of Indian junior hockey team's tour to Pakistan earlier this month has raised doubts over the cricket tour. The BCCI last week told the PCB that it has sought government clearance for the tour and will inform them about the decision in ten days.

Foreign teams have refused to tour Pakistan over security concerns since the 9/11 attacks on United States seven years ago. Pakistan had to relocate its to home series -- against Australia and the West Indies -- to neutral venues in 2002. Australia also postponed its full tour to Pakistan in March this year over security fears.

Security fears also forced the International Cricket Council (ICC) to postpone September's Champions Trophy in Pakistan. South Africa had pulled out of the Trophy over security fears. Australia, England and New Zealand were also reluctant to compete in the Trophy.

The ICC re-scheduled the Trophy for September-October 2009 but said the series against India will be a test for the hosting rights of Champions Trophy

[amar_gama]

mr arsad, i knew that ten sports will get the rights and it is easy for zee sports because both zee and ten will telecast all the matches.

[TheBoss]

I didn't expect ..this ...

[mj786]

BCCI is always irked by anything that is beyond them. They should first improve their domestic matches which are hardly watched by spectators and their is no coverage..

Atleast for ICL people are coming more than 50thousand plus..