By Qaiser Mohammad Ali Oct 18, 2007, 15:40 GMT
Mumbai, Oct 18 (IANS) A lack of sponsors earlier this year has forced the Indian cricket board to defer the launch of its much-awaited website. But the 'bidding process' will now start soon and the website will be launched in 'three to four months', a top official said Thursday.
'We are having internal discussions on the website. And we will have a formal meeting in eight to ten days,' Niranjan Shah, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), told IANS here.
Shah ascribed the lack of sponsors earlier this year to India's first-round exit from the World Cup in March.
'The market situation was not good for cricket earlier this year,' he said.
But the sponsors reportedly became interested again after India defeated Bangladesh and England in Tests. The series win over England in England was the first in 21 years.
The trickle of sponsors turned into a stampede after India's unexpected Twenty20 World Championship triumph in South Africa last month. The interest is expected to survive the home defeat to Australia in the just-concluded ODI series.
Shah said that the rights for the BCCI website would be auctioned, as is done for the domestic media/TV rights of international matches.
BCCI officials have been promising to launch the website for well over two years. The Indian cricket board is the only one among the 10 countries with Test status that does not have a website.
© 2007 Indo-Asian News Service
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