SLC to close bids for India series on January 19

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) will close its invitation for bids for next month's bilateral series against India at 11 am on January 19. The board is eyeing bids up to US$ 12 million from international broadcasters to secure the rights for five ODIs and one Twenty20 international to be played from January 28 to February 10.

Ten Sports has been SLC's television broadcasters for the past six years, and even though the channel is currently fighting an arbitration case against the board, they will be part of the bidding process.

Sri Lanka's sports minister Gamini Lokuge had earlier ordered SLC to terminate the TV rights deal signed with Ten Sports by the interim committee headed by Jayantha Dharmadasa, after he found irregularities and non-compliance with procedures, apart from the committee's failure to obtain prior approval from the minister himself.

It was agreed then that Ten Sports would hold the rights under the original agreement till December 31, 2008 and would also be entitled to participate in any tender floated by SLC for future rights.

The channel had telecast the previous series against India in July-August 2008 but will be facing stiff competition this time from Sony TV, Nimbus and ESPNStar, all of whom have expressed interest in broadcasting the series.

The upcoming series was arranged after India's tour to Pakistan was called off in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks, and since it did not feature on the Future Tours Programme, Sri Lanka may end up paying part of the US$12 million to India.

SLC currently has its hands full, as the next interim committee is yet to be named as well, after Lokuge dissolved the previous regime and sacked its chairman Arjuna Ranatunga in December last year.