You lie, WSG tells BCCI secy

World Sports Group (WSG), the global sports marketing agency, today lambasted the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), N Srinivasan, saying he had made unsubstantiated allegations against it.

The issue is the recent step taken by the BCCI on the ‘facilitation fee’

WSG was supposed to get from MSM, the Sony Group firm, on the broadcasting rights for Indian Premier League cricket matches in the Indian subcontinent. The fee was for relinquishing its rights in this regard in favour of MSM.

In a letter to Srinivasan, the chairman and CEO of WSG, Seamus O'Brien, wrote: "Your claim that the BCCI was 'never made aware' of our agreement with Sony (now MSM) simply cannot be true... it is for the BCCI to take responsibility for reading their contracts both before and after they are signed, and not to feign knowledge when it best suits them, as would appear to be the case here."

O'Brien's letter is in response to Srinivasan's letter to WSG on June 28, when he had terminated the agreement between BCCI and WSG for the international media rights on the IPL. The BCCI had said it was not aware of MSM making paying Rs 425 crore to WSG for relinquishing its sub-continent media rights for the IPL. BCCI had termed this an improper payment and said the money rightfully belonged to the Board.

On Wednesday, O'Brien wrote to Srinivasan: "We do not accept significant risk or provide services without the opportunity to make a fair return... As a result of Sony wishing to have a direct agreement with the BCCI, the facilitation deed represents nothing more than the 'return' on this opportunity achieved by WSG as part of these negotiations."

Adding: "BCCI has been engaged in a very public battle and your letter is patently just another part of that fight. Therefore, the weight to be given to the arguments you advance must be measured against their other objectives, rather than their legal merit." WSG said it would take all necessary steps to ensure its business agreements were honoured.