Sheikh Abdul Rehman Bukhatir, who owns the Dubai-based Taj TV Private Limited and the Ten Sports television channel, is seeking an assurance from the Indian government that it will permit the Indian team to play matches in Sharjah in return for allowing the telecast of the India-Pakistan one-day and Test series for the Indian public, an Union minister told rediff.com on Tuesday morning.
Bukhatir, who flew to New Delhi on Monday night, took the decision that his organisations would provide footage to Doordarshan for the second one-day international to be played in Rawalpindi on Tuesday.
The dispute between Doordarshan and Ten Sports will come up for hearing in the Supreme Court on Wednesday.
According to the minister, who did not wish to be named, Bukhatir has bailed out the Indian government out of a tight spot with an eye on long-term benefits.
Bukhatir is also founder of the Cricketers Benefit Fund Series and the moving spirit behind cricket in Sharjah.
In April 2001 India decided the national team would not participate in cricket tournaments at Sharjah for three years. That deadlines expires next month.
Taj TV holds exclusive overseas transmission rights for the series. Ten Sports, in collaboration with Modi Entertainment, beams signals to the Indian audience through Doordarshan and cable networks.
Bukhatir has been in touch with Board of Control for Cricket in India President Jagmohan Dalmiya and has been pressing for India's presence in Sharjah cricket tournaments on a regular basis. India discontinued playing cricket at Sharjah in the wake of the match-fixing scandal.
