ESS, Zee, Ten Sports pick up telecast rights for 20-20 cricket

ESS, Zee, Ten Sports pick up telecast rights for 20-20 cricket

ESS

MUMBAI: ESPN Star Sports (ESS), Zee Sports and Ten Sports will telecast the 20-20 World Cricket Classic event in India. The International series, organised by the Get Fit Foundation (GEFF) and Blakesport, will be held in Bermuda from 23 April to 29 April.

Ten Sports will telecast the series in the Asia and the Middle East regions, while ESS will cater to its Asian viewers only. Zee has opted to telecast the series only in India. Channel Five (UK), CMC (Caribbean), Sky TV (New Zealand), MNET Supersport (Africa) and Fox Sports (Australia) will telecast the event in the respective regions.

The Classic series is the World's first ever 20-20 International Cricket Tournament, involving teams from England, India, Australia, South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Bermuda whose World Cup team take on the Windies' legends in the tournament's opening match.

The event features over 100 of the greatest international cricketing legends, such as, Ian Healy, Robin Smith, Rodney Hogg, Devon Malcolm, Aravinda De Silva, Greg Blewett, Chris Lewis, Phil Defreitas, Dion Nash, Trevor Franklin, Joel Garner, Gary Kirsten, Ajay Jadeja and Danny Morrison, states an official release.

The event will be covered by the UK production company Sunset+Vine, which will produce a one hour highlights programme. The series will be produced and directed by Gary Franses.

Terry Blake of Blakesport, GEFF's TV consultant says, "We are delighted that the event has already attracted such substantial broadcast support from around the world and look forward to working with our broadcast and production partners on the first event in April."

Jeff Foulser of Sunset+Vine states, "Having produced Test Cricket in the UK for the last seven years, we delighted to be involved with such an exciting international event."