BCCI president Ranbir Singh Mahendra said tenders for the telecasting rights would be advertised in all the leading national newspapers and one international newspaper next week so that the interested parties could make their bids for covering cricket matches (both one-day internationals and Tests) to be played in India.
"The bids would be for four years from September 2005 to September 2009. We have kept the observations of the honourable Supreme court of India in mind while drafting the guidelines for the tenders," Mahendra told reporters in New Delhi on Thursday.
He, however, refused to specify the terms and said that the media would get to know about them as and when the advertisements appear. He made it clear that all companies can apply.
"There is no intention to keep anyone out of the bidding process," he said.
He denied that the Board is likely to incur losses as the expected amount could be lower than the one offered last time when the highest bid was Rs 1300 crore.
"I can assure you that we would not incur any loss. In fact we may get even better price," he told rediff.com.
Taking note of a report appearing in the Hindustan Times which claimed that the Sri Lankan board official met Jagmohan Dalmiya to sort out the itinerary rather than meeting Mahendra.
"At that time I had lost my brother Surinder Singh in an air crash and I was mourning his death. Reporters do not go into such matters while writing their stories. In any case Dalmiya is a member of the Board and he as the president of the Asian Cricket Council knew about the details of the tour. When Sri Lankan official called me up I told him to meet Dalmiya. So what is wrong in it?" he asked.
Talking about the performance of the Indian team in Sri Lanka, Mahendra said he is pleased with the performance of the some of the youngsters.
On being asked whether he was disappointed that International Cricket Council did not waive the ban on Sourav Ganguly and it was reduced from six matches to four.
"I am glad it is over and behind us and Ganguly is back in the team," he said.
He refused to answer whether the return of the former Indian captain could once again start the controversy about the captaincy of the Indian team.
"I am saying nothing on this matter," he said.
BCCI secretary S K Nair said that a senior official of the ICC would be visiting India later this month to talk to the Board about the 2006 ICC trophy to be held in India.
