Battle of the Broadcasters

The ESPN-Zee-BCCI conflict is turning into an exciting affair. Rather like a one-day match which was progressing in a rather dull manner, till a gutsy player started hitting every delivery for six runs, not bothering that he is taking a very big risk.


ESPN seems to be this courageous player. Why else would it not accept that it has lost the contract?


I don't know who is right or wrong, and I don't think anyone will ever know. Because newspapers and TV channels will never report what exactly happened behind closed doors.


But I do know that if Zee wins the broadcast rights, we're in for some pretty lousy viewing. All the good commentators work for ESPN-Star. So the only prospective commentators they will get to choose from will be some Ranji players who can't really communicate. Or they might rope in Johnny Lever (if Shekhar Suman is on the cricket scene, then why not him?). Worse comes to worse, they might have one of their female soap stars as eye candy. Or perhaps an MTV VJ, who doesn't know how to spell cricket, but can hook the guys. You never know.


My fingers are crossed.