MUMBAI: World Sport Nimbus (WSN) has been contracted by GCC to produce the 'Live' television coverage of the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup 2004. For the very first time the U-19 Cricket World Cup will be televised live from the league matches stage itself.

Of the over 50 matches in the event, nine matches will be televised live, including all India matches (6 max from Group C and the Super League), the semi finals and the final. Should India not qualify for the Super League phase, three alternate matches will be telecast live. 16 teams have qualified for the U-19 Cricket World Cup and have been drawn in four groups, the top two from each group will qualify for the Super League. The Super League will also be in two pools and the top two from each pool will go to the semi finals.

India is drawn with New Zealand, Bangladesh and Scotland.

The U-19 Cricket World Cup is being staged in Bangladesh from 15 February to 5 March 2004.

Says Digvijay Singh, CEO, WSN: "With the enormous ratings that cricket is now getting and with U 19 players knocking at the doors of Test cricket, it makes great sense to televise the U 19 World Cup and take it to the next level".

India recently won the Asian U 19 title, and many consider the Indians favorite for the World title too.

It's all very well to talk of taking the U 19 World Cup to the next level, but with the surfeit of big matches on offer (especially with the Indo-Pakistan series coming up in March, whether it will be possible to generate any sort of excitement around this tournament remains to be seen. Too much of a good thing and all that...?