Sponsorship base price could be reduced

Mumbai:

With no corporate houses coming forward for the sponsorship of the Indian cricket team, the Cricket Board may be forced to reduce the base price for the bidding.

A top BCCI source said that the high base price may have been responsible for the lukewarm response and the Board will have a relook on the bidding issue.

The BCCI's ambitious plan to rope in a major sponsor for four national teams, including the glamourous men's squad, hit a roadblock with no bids having come in before the deadline.

With the sponsorship deal with Sahara for men's team coming to an end this year-end, the BCCI floated a tender last month inviting bids for a new four-year deal.

Though no official communication has come from the BCCI, it's understood no bids have been received for sponsoring the national men's, women's, 'A' and under-19 squads till today's deadline.

"A meeting of the marketing committee was scheduled for tomorrow, but it has been postponed," said a member of the marketing committee.

The BCCI had announced in the tender notice that the bid forms would cost Rs five lakh each and the amount would be non-refundable.

Last month the Board sold its four-year TV marketing rights to existing right holders Nimbus Communications, owners of Neo Sports and Neo Cricket channels, for Rs 2000 crore for the period April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2014.

The deal worked out to Rs 31.5 crore per international match - Test, ODI or T20, according to BCCI sources.