Money doesn’t always buy you the best. We are learning that to our cost during the telecast of the England-India cricket series. What is particularly galling is that the BCCI, that august cricket authority, has made a lot of money out of selling the telecast rights—but at our expense. So while they are smiling all the way to the pavilion, we are left growling at the TV set.

Take Friday’s famous Indian victory when Suresh Raina reigned supreme. Were you able to watch it? Not if you were (pretending) to work. Not if you were going from A to B. And only if your eyes had nothing else to do. How many of us had nothing else to do from 9 am to 5.30 pm—on a working day?

The cricket is being played on Sahara One and Doordarshan National. Once the match is over, these two omnibus channels revert to their regular programmes. There are no highlights of the match in the evening, late at night or at any other time. Which is why broadcasters invented sports channels that could be dedicated to sports, 24x7x365. On ESPN-Star Sports, Ten Sports, Zee Sports, DD Sports, etc., a cricket match is telecast live, and after it ends, a repeat telecast of the entire match begins for all those people who missed out during the day.

And for those who don’t want a blow-by-blow replay, there are highlights of falling wickets, soaring sixes and thrilling maidens (no sexist ideas, please). This deal struck by Nimbus with Sahara is a big blow to the viewer. The BCCI should really confine cricket telecast rights to sports channels or insert a clause on repeats and highlights in the viewers’ interest.

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