ECB hits out at BBC on TV rights issue

ECB Chairman Giles Clarke has hit out at the national broadcaster BBC for not bidding for the sports' television coverage rights.

England and Wales Cricket Board Chairman Giles Clarke has hit out at the national broadcaster BBC for not bidding for the sports’ television coverage rights while agreeing a 250 million pounds deal for Formula One.

“Is that what taxpayers’ money should be spent on? I don’t think so and, as I have said, how many people play Formula One? The BBC could have used that money to buy two Twenty20 internationals a year,” Clarke said accusing BBC director of sport Roger Mosey.

“It was extraordinarily disappointing that we should end up with a situation where taxpayers’ money is being spent to pay for tax exiles to drive around a motor track on the other side of the world. I think it is thoroughly unattractive,” he was quoted as saying by the ‘Wisden Cricketer magazine’.

Story continues below this ad

Countering the BBC’s claim that the bidding process was unnecessarily complex, Clarke said there were 27 different packages available and it was possible “for any broadcaster to bid for an individual Test, ODI or Twenty20”.

Clarke also rebuked the BBC for its Sports Personality of the Year show.

“When are we going to see some proper gender coverage of sport from the nation’s broadcaster, I ask? When are we going to see Charlotte Edwards given proper recognition as the ICC Women’s Player of the Year that she damn well was?”