A host of experts are expected to sit down and decide on the further course of action in the ongoing drama surrounding the cricket production and telecast rights in the country.

Broadcaster Nimbus and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will now wait for a report from a special committee formed by the Union Ministry, which will recommend the setting up of instructions to go ahead with the encryption.

Both Nimbus and the board have already agreed to bear the cost of encryption of 1,400 transmitters for Doordarshan, but Prasar Bharti is yet to make a decision on that offer and is waiting for the government’s nod.

Sources in the board informed that Nimbus has been sent letters by the BCCI asking them for bank guarantees for the coming financial year and have also requested for payment and statements for the 2006-07 fiscal.

While both Thawani and BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah maintain that asking for the bank guarantees is nothing but a mere formality, it is being highly rumoured that the BCCI has been having problems in getting payments from their broadcaster.

Even as the ball now lies in the government’s court to take their next step in resolving the issue, both Nimbus and the BCCI have made it clear off the record that they would like the association to continue as planned till the end of the four-year contract.

When asked what would be the possible recourse in case the issue wasn’t amicably settled, Thawani said, “we will have to be compensated by the BCCI, and it’ll be sad for cricket in general.”

... contd.