Wait 7 minutes and watch the match

The last three matches of the India-West Indies one-day series will be available on the box for the common viewer.

The last three matches of the India-West Indies one-day series including tomorrow8217;s crux tie at Cuttack will be available on the box for the common viewer. This refreshing news was announced here today by Delhi High Court judge Sanjay Kishan Kaul. The telecast, to be shared by Nimbus Communication Ltd with Prasar Bharati as per the order, will, however, have a seven-minute lag. Earlier, a 15-minute lag was being discussed.

In passing the interim order 8212; on a petition filed by Nimbus Communication Ltd 8212;Justice Kaul fixed February 8 as the next date of hearing. This means that the current order stands, not only till the end of the series versus the West Indies, but also for the first match of the series versus Sri Lanka to be played at Pune on February 8.

Thus, Prasar Bharati has won round one over Nimbus, but the court has issued notices to the Centre and Prasar Bharati with directions to file replies by January 29 and also ordered Nimbus to move a rejoinder by February 1. That means, there remains a possibility of the hearing date being advanced, in which case even the first match of the series versus Sri Lanka may have to be renegotiated.

Justice Kaul, who heard the Nimbus petition, has in his interim order ensured that millions of non-cable viewers can follow the series 8220;ball-by-ball8221;, even as he observed that the seven-minute delay was only 8220;minimal8221; and will not 8220;affect public interests8221;.

Nimbus, which owns Neo Sports, had submitted in its petition before the Court that government8217;s norms set on January 17 were 8220;whimsical8221; and amounted to 8220;coercion8221;. Appearing for Nimbus, counsel Harish Salve, contended that guidelines issued by the government were without 8220;any authority of law8221; and did not take into account intellectual property rights of private broadcasters.

Countering Salve, counsel for DD, Dushyant Dave, questioned the locus standi of Nimbus to contest the guidelines as the latter had agreed to the norms two years ago and even shared feed during the India-England series last year.

Interestingly, today8217;s judgement has been silent on the financial agreement that could be involved. Earlier talk was of a 75-25 sharing basis, but this might not be the case now. These issues will now be renegotiated.

Emergent Board meeting

Story continues below this ad

MUMBAI: Meanwhile, the telecast row between has led the BCCI to convene an emergency meeting to discuss and sort out the issue at Delhi on February 7, adds a report from Mumbai.

8220;We have called an emergency working committee meeting of the BCCI on February 7 at Delhi and would be discussing the developments. We would ask our sponsors Nimbus to submit to us the difficulties they have been encountering,8221; said Cricket Board8217;s secretary Niranjan Shah today. PTI