ICC to make $600 million from next World Cup TV rights

London, June 23: The International Cricket Council (ICC) is likely to net nearly 600 million dollars for awarding the television rights for the next cricket World Cup games to be played in year 2003 in South Africa and later in the West Indies in year 2007.

India's colourful Zee TV in conjunction with TWI are the bidders along with their rival World Sports Group, backed by the media magnet Mr Rupert Murdoch.

In a meeting of the ICC in Paris on Thursday the two rival bidders for the prestigious event have been asked by the Chairman Finance Committee of the ICC to submit their bid in a sealed envelope to the ICC's accountants Messrs Price Waterhoues who will then submit the offer to the ICC Finance Committee for naming the successful bidder.

The Paris meeting was attended by the ICC chief executive David Richards, Ehsan Mani and the President of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Mr Pat Rousseou.

The Managing Director of the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) Dr Ali Bacher, also a member of this committee, was unable to attend because of Hansie Cronje's grilling in the King's Commision court in Cape Town.

But before a decision is taken as to who will be given the rights for televising the next World Cup, the bidders will have their own presentation on Saturday as to how will they tackle the event for the benefit of the viewers around the globe.

A discussion will then follow between the ICC committee members before the final bid is handed over to them by Zee TV,TWI together and World Sports Group.

On Monday after three days of sitting at Lord's ICC will then disclose the lucky winner.

Also on the agenda is the Bangladesh application for gaining the full membership status and become a Test playing country like the other full members. According to the chief of Bangladesh Cricket Board, Mr Saber Hussain Chaudhry, his application has the backing of eight full members including Pakistan and India.

The World Test Championship is also on the agenda. Missing, however, will be the discussion on the recent match-fixing and bribery controversy which has been raging for sometime after Cronje was exposed by the Indian police.

Questions will, however, be asked. The ICC like always would try and duck the issue because of the court hearing going on n Cape Town and investigation in India by CBI.