News channels granted semi-final access

News channels will be allowed access to the Mohali stadium for the India-Pakistan semi-final after India's information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni intervened on their behalf. The ICC had withdrawn accreditation for Indian news channels on Tuesday after "a dispute was created by Indian non-rights holders (NRH) breaching the terms and conditions they had agreed to follow" when they were awarded accreditation for the World Cup.

The ICC said Soni had proposed a 24-hour 'truce'. "Ms Soni had written to ICC President Sharad Pawar and asked for the television channels to be allowed access into the ground at Mohali for this important game," ICC chief Haroon Lorgat said. "At the same time she agreed to convene a meeting at the ministry on March 31, to address the dispute which has been caused by repeated and serious breaches of the terms and conditions which these organisations had signed up to."

The guidelines for covering the World Cup were issued to news broadcasters in January by the ICC. "No objections to the guidelines were received and accreditations were issued to reporters and cameramen on condition that these guidelines were followed," Lorgat said. "Sadly there have been many breaches and despite requests for such activity to cease the NRH stations continued to break the rules.

"It was only as a last resort that the ICC withdrew the accreditation of these companies when they refused to sign an undertaking that they would desist from breaching the guidelines." Lorgat reminded the press that removal of accreditation only meant that the news channels did not have access to the stadium. "It does not prevent these channels from reporting the ICC Cricket World Cup. Footage is provided to them from several agencies."

If the relevant media houses do not comply with the ICC's requirements, Lorgat said, accreditation would once again be withdrawn for the final.