The Hindu : `Cricket fever' grips Tiruchi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 14, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi

`Cricket fever' grips Tiruchi

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI, MARCH 13 . The excitement of an India-Pakistan cricket match gripped the sport- crazy masses in the city, as the one-day series got under way in Karachi today.

The resumption of cricketing ties between the two countries after 14 years saw the return of the `cricket fever' exclusive to matches featuring the traditional rivals. Attendance in offices dipped, and traffic was thin on the city roads, as cricket fans remained glued to television sets. With the annual examinations round the corner and the Plus-Two examinations already begun, anxious parents had a tough time keeping their wards away from the idiot box.

Groups of youths, rickshaw pullers and the working class cornered vantage spots in front of television set retail dealers to get an update of the match. A cinema hall near the central bus stand arranged for a "special show" of the telecast of the match on the "big screen." Though the Indian victory sparked off celebrations, cricket proved the winner.

Though they got to see today's match on television without any hassle, thanks to the intervention of the courts, fans were unsure whether they could enjoy the full series, and eagerly await the verdict from the Supreme Court on the issue of telecast rights.

Cable operators' plea

Meanwhile, the Tiruchi District Cable TV Owners' Association has appealed to the Supreme Court to ensure telecast of the entire India-Pakistan series by Doordarshan.

The Association has requested its members to send telegrams to the Supreme Court Chief Justice, seeking that the Madras High Court's ruling be upheld.

Resenting the "high" subscription rates fixed by the Ten Sports channel, the Tamizhaga Cable TV Owners' Association joint secretary, C. Rajendra Kumar, said the cable operators in semi-urban areas could not afford to collect the additional subscription. The Ten Sports decoder box itself cost heavily, and the channel insisted that the operators pay three to six months of the subscription amount (for 80 per cent of the total customers of each operator) in advance, he alleged.

The cable operators in rural areas, he said, could hardly afford to pay the amount. Hence, the channel should give up its "authoritarian attitude", and maintain cordial relations with the operators. Otherwise, the Association, he warned, would boycott the channel and launch an agitation.

He urged the State and Central Governments to ensure that the cricket series was telecast free.

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