Seven, Cricket Australia's host broadcaster, drags BCCI in dispute over scheduling

A widening rift between Cricket Australia and its host broadcaster, Seven West Media is taking down the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) with it. The broadcaster has put up several allegations against the CA in a 25-page strongly-worded affidavit submitted in the federal court. It has made few explosive claims such as the decision by CA to change the overall structure of the series between India and Australia was taken purely under pressure from the Indian cricket board. 

The broadcaster through this lawsuit wants to establish a communication channel with the BCCI, CA and other parties of the dispute before assessing if it wants to sue the Australian cricket governing body for what it believes is the breach of the broadcasting agreement signed by the two sides.

At the heart of this feud that has brought BCCI into the fray lies the preponement of the limited-overs series between Australia and India before the Test series while an earlier settled schedule between the CA and Seven West Media had Tests series scheduled before the white-ball series. The broadcaster had discussed the plans of fast starting the Big Bash League on the same day when India and Australia were to begin their Test series with the pink-ball Test at the Adelaide Oval. 

“It appears to me that CA’s scheduling decisions may have been motivated by CA’s broader interests in relation to the BCCI, Foxtel and also a positive incentive given to CA by the State of Tasmania,” Seven’s Melbourne managing director and head of sport, Lewis Martin has written the affidavit submitted to the federal court according to a Sydney Morning Herald’s report.

Seven Media believes that the revised schedule of the Big Bash League and the India-Australia will severely impact its finances. 

"If my belief is well founded I expect that Seven's damages claim may be for many millions of dollars given the significance of cricket coverage to Seven's advertising revenue and the magnitude of the scheduling changes made by CA,” Martin wrote further highlighting the negative impact the broadcaster will have to weather due to the change in schedule.

Lewis Martin has outlined the details of the feud and has made a text from Cricket Australia’s interim Chief executive Nick Hockley to Seven West Media’s chief James Warburton on September 8 as the base of the company’s lawsuit in which Hockley had said that the white ball series was driven by the BCCI and that he can offer an explanation. 

"Mr Hockley was suggesting ... was at the request of the BCCI",” Martin wrote in the document as per a Sydney Morning Herald’s report.

Martin cited another discussion held in a meeting that took place on August 7 between him and the BBL manager Alistair Dobson and CA head of operations Peter Roach where he had asked the rationale behind scheduling ODIs and T20s before the Test series. Martin has written in the document that Peter Roach made it absolutely clear to him that the decision was completely influenced by the BCCI who in the words of Roach didn't want its players to go through quarantine twice in the country. 

Cricket Australia has strongly objected to the possible release of confidential documents that it believes can harm its relationship with BCCI. CA Chief Nick Hockley said that he is disappointed to see Seven West Media is continuing its efforts to demean the ‘wonderful game.

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