Indian cricket team’s next month’s tour of Zimbabwe has now been cancelled over the controversy surrounding the broadcasting rights.
This follows the Zimbabwe Cricket’s ongoing issues with the host broadcaster Ten Sports, owned by Zee Group owner Subhash Chandra.
India was expected to play three One Day Internationals and two Twenty20 matches during its Zimbabwe tour starting July 10. But the BCCI have now decided to scrap the tour altogether.
A statement by ZC’s chairman Wilson Manase said, “if the matters take too long to resolve, ZC and the BCCI might mutually agree to push the tour to next year.”
BCCI and Subhash Chandra have had rocky relationships for several years. Angered by not being awarded the rights to host India’s home matches between 2004 and 2008 despite having made the highest bid, Chandra had started rebel Indian Cricket League in 2007. Incidentally, the man heading the Indian cricket board at that time was Jagmohan Dalmiya.
The controversy around Ten Sports may also have repercussions on any possibility of resuming Indo-Pak series as Ten Sports is also Pakistan Cricket Board’s broadcasting partner. There are reports that even if the BCCI receives clearance from the central government for series against Pakistan, it may only agree to this idea if Ten Sports didn’t broadcast the matches.