The FIFA World Cup is all set to affect the three-match ODI series between a second-string India and Bangladesh starting June 15 with Indian broadcasters showing little interest in buying the rights for the live telecast of the series.
According to a report published by ESPN Cricinfo,"Lack of interest from Indian broadcasters could result in the three-match ODI series between India and Bangladesh that starts from June 15 not being available on television in India, 'The Mirror' has reported. Bangladesh's Gazi TV, which owns the rights for cricket in Bangladesh, had approached Star Sports and Sony Six."
Reportedly, Star Sports made an offer of less than a million dollars (Rs 5 crore) for the three matches, which was deemed too little by the host broadcaster. Sony Six, who will telecast the Football World Cup live were also not keen on telecasting the matches.
"Star has offered a less than million dollars for three matches. That is too less in comparison to the cost of the rights," Salahuddin Chowdhury, CFO and head of operations of Gazi Group, told local Mirror newspaper.
"Because of the BCCI's problems with Neo and Ten, we can't sell the rights to them. Unless, something dramatic happens over the next two days, I cannot assure you that the matches will be telecast in India."
"There would be a lot of overlapping time between the World Cup matches and ODIs," Prasanna Krishnan, the chief executive of Sony Six, told the Mirror. "We've a planned a few pre-match shows for the World Cup and we could not have spared our channel for cricket."
India will be going into the series without the likes of MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma.
