Technological facilities for DRS must: PCB to broadcasters

Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board has made it mandatory for broadcasters interested in buying rights for the forthcoming series against South Africa and Sri Lanka to have technological facilities for the Umpires Decision Review System (DRS).

The PCB bid committee that will award the rights for the two series to be played in the United Arab Emirates, has said the broadcaster who wins the rights will have to bear costs for the DRS. "The PCB wants to have DRS in the Test and One-day series against South Africa and Sri Lanka as both countries are keen on this technology," a source close to a broadcaster said. "Having the DRS means extra costs of around USD 300,000 for the broadcasters for both series besides the production costs of around two million dollars," he said. He added the PCB had not made it clear as yet whether the broadcaster would have to provide facilities for just the snickometre and hawkeye in the DRS or they would also have the controversial hotspot technology, which will increase the costs of broadcasters further. The PCB has decided to sell broadcasting rights of the two series as a separate venture instead of entering into a long-term four or five-year deal with a broadcaster for Pakistan cricket rights. "The long-term deal will be done later because of shortage of time and for now we are selling rights of just these two series as our long-standing contract with Ten Sports expired in June," the source said. Another source in the board told PTI that the bid committee, which is overseeing the whole process under the supervision of former ICC Chairman, Ehsan Mani, and also includes a Supreme Court retired judge, will open technical bids of interested broadcasters in Lahore on Friday. "Later in the evening the financial bids will also be opened and the highest bidder which is over or meets the reserve price set by the committee will get the rights," he said. The PCB is looking to earn around USD 10 to 15 million dollars from the rights of the two series which include a total of six tests, ten one-day internationals and four T20 matches and a one-off game against Afghanistan. PTI