The PCB said yesterday that the rights, to broadcast their home international matches over a five-year period from 2008-09, will be open to tender from July and that a deal should be concluded by September.
Former ICC President, Ehsan Mani, who has agreed to advise the PCB told Reuters: “I would be disappointed if they sold for any less than $100 million. The last deal was the best around but it was still a bad one because India were not touring Pakistan at that time and that was a big issue.
That is no longer the case so hopefully it will make a big difference. I haven't seen the whole tour programme yet but there has been a significant convergence of rights as people now watch cricket in so many different ways, whether it is on television, on the internet or on their mobile phone".
If Mani’s forecast is correct, the PCB would witness more than a 100 per cent rise in rights fees from their current $43 million deal with Ten Sports and ARY – a deal, which also saw more than a 100 per cent increase on the previous agreement.
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