Sri Lanka demand US $2m for ODI series

Pakistan's attempts to undertake an unscheduled tour of Sri Lanka later this month seems destined for failure as the Sri Lankan board has demanded a whopping two million dollars for the proposed one-day series.

Sources said a leading sports channel from Dubai had offered to broadcast the series on a barter basis and is willing to treat it as a one-off event.

"Ten sports have offered to bear all production costs for the series in return for getting the rights of the series and then arranging for the title sponsorship and other revenues and paying all expenses. But the Sri Lankan board is demanding two million dollars payment for the television rights itself," the source said.

He said the Pakistan Cricket Board had informed the television channel it would be content with an appearance fee of around five to seven hundred thousands dollars for playing the matches besides prize-money to be offered for the series.

"But the Sri Lankans are adamant they get paid two million dollars for the series rights by the channel which is willing to bear all expenses for the planned series," the source said.

Pakistan expressed interest in playing the series in Sri Lanka after they failed to convince the South African Cricket Union to urgently arrange a one-day tri-series also involving Sri Lanka.

Cricket SA informed the PCB two days ago that it couldn't hold the series as it wanted its players to take a rest after a hectic tour of England.

"The channel and the Sri Lankan board are slated to have final negotiations over the final terms and conditions for the series on Tuesday but if the Lankans maintain their current demand the series would not be possible," the source said.

He said the channel had made it clear it was willing to shell out around 3.5 million dollars as expenses on the series including production costs but not more then that and it would not be possible to accept the Lankan demand for two million dollars just for the rights of the series besides production costs.

The Sri Lankan Board has been going through a financial crisis in recent months and got some relief from the recent tour by India but even that tour was not a sell out for the same company which holds rights to Sri Lankan cricket television rights.