ACC has full confidence in India's visit to Pakistan

The Asian Cricket Council has expressed its 'fullest confidence' that India will take part in the Asian Test Championship match against its neighbour scheduled to be played in Karachi in September this year. "We have no doubt the Indian tour to Pakistan this September will take place as scheduled and we are going ahead with the preparations for the grand event," ACC general secretary Zakir Hussain Sayeed told PTI from Islamabad.

Sayeed said "We are fairly certain about the visit as the Indian Government's letter to the BCCI, which was shown to us at the ACC meeting clearly said India could play against Pakistan in all multilateral tournaments." According to the schedule announced by the ACC, India is to play the Asian Test Championship match against Pakistan from September 13 to 17 in Karachi.

Sahara Group bags cricket sponsorship rights

The Sahara Group will sponsor the Indian cricket team for the next three years. They bagged the sponsorship rights by paying Rs. 100 crore and have also bought the rights to display the logo on the sleeves of the players, kit bags and track suits of the cricketers. The company can use up to six players to advertise their products, according to reports on Friday.

Reports added that a formal announcement about the sponsorship rights will be made in Mumbai on Saturday. Sahara's bid was 49 percent more than ITC Limited, the previous sponsors of Indian cricket, and the highest ever to be paid a sporting team in the sub-continent. The Indian Cricket Board has been on the look out for new sponsors following the withdrawal of ITC as a result of a Government ban on smoking advertisements.

High Court refuses to grant stay on BCCI's decision

The Mumbai High Court on Friday refused to grant a stay on the application filed by the proprietor of Gayatri Arts, Shyam Dhumatkar. The ad interim order was delivered by Justice DK Deshmukh, who heard the application filed by Gayatri Arts, a Mumbai-based company, which had sought an injunction from it on the BCCI signing a contract with IMG-TWI or any other group.

Dhumatkar claimed the three-year contract was awarded to his company which had made the highest bid of Rs 90 crore through a legal tender advertised by BCCI in a newspaper. On May 22, however, BCCI's marketing committee held a second meeting in New Delhi where the contract awarded to Gayatri Arts was rescinded and instead awarded to IMG-TWI after open bidding and revelation of prices. However, the BCCI claimed that its communication to Gayatri Arts was not a confirmation letter of the contract but a mere 'query'. Dhumatkar's counsel Ashok Paranjpe said he would be challenging the ad interim order of the court.

Star Sports to telecast India-Zimbabwe series live

Star Sports will telecast the India-Zimbabwe series live starting June 7. The first Test in Bulawayo is to be played from June 7 to 11. It will also telecast live the second Test to be played at Harare from June 15 to 19, a release from Star Sports said on Friday.

The telecast timings are from 12.30 pm to 3 pm and 3.40 pm to 8.30 pm, it said and added that highlights of the day's play will be telecast the following day from 6 am to 8 am.

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