ICC World Cup 2019 | ICC worldwide radio feed falls silent after payments default

It was reported that the Dubai-based Channel 2 had subleased these rights from the ICC to several production firms all over the world. One of them, an Indian-based firm called Sports Flashes, run by Raman Raheja, is now the one to blame, according to Sethi. 

“They made a huge fraud with us (sic). This is a serious default on their part. I am pursuing the matter,” Sethi told TOI.

However, Raheja shifted the blame back onto Sethi’s company. Raheja stated that he had taken the risk of putting up a large amount of his money on the table despite being surprised that the company had procured rights from the ICC without any prior experience to show for it. 

“He (Sethi) got in touch with us and said he has ICC audio rights. Since we had the wherewithal to carry out high-quality production, he wanted to get into an arrangement with us. How he got those rights without past experience is still a surprise to us. Anyway, so we had this commitment, riding on which I put serious money on the table and got as many as 17 cricketers on board to carry out the production and audio broadcast. Given the space Sports Flashes enjoys in audio production, it soon became evident, this would be our show,” Raheja said.

This is where, Raheja believes, things took a turn for the worse. 

“He got edgy and started demanding money out of turn from us. He went back on the commitment. In fact, we sent our team to UK for production which he never allowed to enter and access stadium facilities,” Raheja added. 

Whatever the companies decide going further, it is the ICC that ends up as the major loser. With several of the former cricketers who were roped in left unpaid, it is understood that at least some of them are pondering taking things to the legal side to get their payments ensured. Former West Indian cricketers, Carl Hooper and Ricardo Powell, have filed separate legal suits over payment. Former India cricketers Deep Dasgupta, Mohammad Kaif, Atul Wassan, Syed Kirmani and commentators like Charu Sharma, among others, are also owed payments.

“At first, my calls weren’t taken. Then e-mails started bouncing. The money has not come though. Like me, there are several others. But many may not speak, probably in the hope payments may come sooner or later,” Sharma said.