Cricket Australia (CA) on Tuesday (December 1) responded to Channel 7's controversial claim that the board served to BCCI's interests while putting out the summer's schedule and in doing so, breached the contract it signed up with its broadcasting partner.
Raising a dispute, Channel 7 has lodged "an affidavit with the court here in a pre-discovery action," trying "to prove its contention that CA breached its contract with a raft of scheduling changes this summer"
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The media company attempts to vindicate its belief that CA is "terrified" of the potential repercussions in case it didn't fell in line with the Indian board's wishes.
The broadcaster also seeks access to communication between the two cricketing bodies, besides executives at Foxtel, domestic broadcast partner and state governments involved in the smooth conduct of the summer amid COVID-19 pandemic.
“With so much positivity around Australian cricket, it is disappointing that Seven West Media has again chosen to use the media to talk our wonderful game down," Hockley responded in a statement posted on cricketworld.com.
"CA has maintained all along our commitment to delivering a thrilling summer of cricket … I'm proud to say we are doing just that. We remain confident in our contractual position."
"In the most challenging environment sport has faced, with the support of our friends at the BCCI, CA has ensured that the much-anticipated series with India can go ahead safely."
The summer has kicked-off with the ODI series, which precedes the T20Is, before the focus shifts to the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
For James Warburton, the Seven West Media's CEO, however, it had to begin with the Test matches and culminate with the white-ball fixtures in January.
"The first two men”s Dettol ODIs between Australia and India set viewership records and is a great indicator of the level of interest in the upcoming Vodafone Test Series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which includes the first-ever day-night Test against India," Hockley pointed out.
The legal battle, though, hasn't meant the job of putting up the broadcast has gotten any less taxing for the Channel 7 staff. Hence, Hockley expressed gratitude towards them for looking at the bigger picture too.
"We continue to have tremendous respect for the hardworking people across Channel 7's cricket and news broadcast teams and congratulate them on the substantial increase in ratings cricket has delivered them to date this season," he said.
"We have, and will continue to, fulfil our obligations to our partners and supporters by scheduling a brilliant summer of cricket, despite the cost and complexity of doing so given the current public health situation."
(Inputs from PTI)
