BCCI ratifies Star deal, pitches for Pak team in CL T20

MUMBAI: The Indian cricket board has approved Star India?s purchase of the media rights for international cricket played in India for a period of six years till 2018.

Star India had last month sprung a major surprise by bagging the BCCI media rights for Rs 38.51 billion, beating Multi Screen Media which had bid Rs 37 billion. Interestingly, ESPN Star Sports, the equal joint venture between Star and ESPN, did not bid.

"The BCCI working committee ratified the grant of media rights to Star India Pvt. Ltd. for the next six years - 2012 to 2018," BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale said in a media statement.

The WC has also recommended inclusion of a Pakistani team in Champions League Twenty20 tournament, a move aimed at attracting eyeballs. ESPN Star Sports holds the rights for a period of ten years till 2017, paying a whopping $975 million.

The Champions League T20 Governing Council will look into the recommendations of the working committee.

The move comes three years after the 26/11 terror attacks, which led to a break-up of bi-lateral cricketing ties between the two countries.

A Pakistani team, Sialkot Stallions, was expected to participate in the inaugural edition of CL T20. However, the terror attacks led to the exclusion of Pakistan from the tournament.

"The Working Committee has decided to invite a team from Pakistan to play in Champions League Twenty20 to be held in October," BCCI president N Srinivasan told reporters after the Board?s working committee meeting.

Srinivasan said the recommendation will be forwarded to CLT20 Governing Council for the approval of Cricket Australia, and Cricket South Africa, who are also founding members of the tournament.

"We will recommend to the GC that the BCCI has no objection and is prepared to invite a Pakistan team in the Champions League," he added.

Modeled on the lines of Football?s Champions League, CL T20 draws teams from India, Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, and New Zealand. Teams that win their respective national T20 competition qualify for the tournament.

The inaugural edition of the competition featured 12 sides from seven nations and was held in India. In 2010, CLT20 moved to South Africa where 10 sides from six nations locked horns at four venues.

Last year, the tournament returned to India with a pre-tournament qualifier with six teams facing off in a qualifier in Hyderabad. The three top teams from qualifiers joined seven already confirmed teams making it a 10-team tournament.