Principles of fair play helped Zee bag it, says Dalmiya

Jagmohan Dalmiya, the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, has said that legal counsel on a variety of factors was instrumental in Zee Network being 'conditionally' awarded the four-year telecast rights. The factors included principles of fair play, natural justice and the need for ethical transparency.

Speaking to The Hindu, Dalmiya said, "We have reached a certain point in the process of completing the television rights agreement. Zee will have to meet these requirements." Dalmiya also listed out the several criteria that Zee would have to meet to bag the rights. These include remitting US$20million by Wednesday or Thursday, providing a bank guarantee for US$75million by September 15, showing proof of agreement with Prasar Bharati and revealing the five production companies from which the BCCI could nominate two for the telecast of the international matches. Apart from this, Zee had to agree to pay US$212 million of the US$308million - the total worth of the deal - by September 2006.

Dalmiya also added that the BCCI had carried out the whole operation transparently, and that Zee had been informed of ESPN-Star Sports' revised offer. "Zee was the first highest bidder and we asked if it could match ESS's offer of US$308 million for four years," he said. "It was up to Zee to take it or leave it. Zee agreed."

Regarding the final amount, Dalmiya chose to tread the middle ground. "I won't say, I'm happy or unhappy. It's a good amount. We expected over Rs1,000crores [US$216million approx]. We need the money for development programmes. I have been reading reports of people threatening to go to court. We cannot do anything about it. It's a man's fundamental right to go to court. We did not want to favour A or B. We were keen to take a position that would favour and be advantageous to Indian cricket and the BCCI."

Regarding Zee's inexperience in cricket broadcasting, Dalmiya said: "ESPN-Star Sports has a proven record, Zee does not. So we have told Zee that cricket is a specialised sport and that each and every ball bowled is important and action cannot be missed. We have also told Zee that it has to enter into an agreement with Prasar Bharati. We want the entire country to get the benefit of watching international matches live."