08 February 2004	Sunday	16 Zilhaj 1424

LAHORE, Feb 7: Fourteen companies have submitted bids on Saturdayfor nine different business categories to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the forthcoming Pakistan-India series to be held in March-April.

The categories on the sale include title sponsorship, co-title sponsorship, radio rights, internet and other technical aspects, in-stadia hoarding, hospitality boxes, foods and beverages and ticket sales. Representatives of different companies from Pakistan, India, Dubai and Singapore have submitted the bids.

Some companies submitted bids after the scheduled time at 10 am which the PCB accepted causing protest from other contestants.

Later, PCB chairman Shaharyar M. Khan told reporters that the late bids were accepted after it was found the reasons behind the delays were genuine.

Shaharyar said that the PCB would decide about successful bidders in a couple of days. The decision had been taken to maintain transparency and check financial worth of bidders, he added.

"Some companies are used to submit higher bids, beyond their financialcapacity and thus create problems. So (this time) we decided to announce successful bidders in next two days," he said.

But when asked the decision itself created doubts about transparency, he reiterated that thetransparency would be maintained at all costs.

Shaharyartold reporters that a Pakistani company Interflowhad moved Sindh High Court, accusing the board ofbreachingan agreement that gave the company exclusive right to coverall publicity events of the Indian cricket team's tour.

Theagreementwas signed on Nov 25, 2003 bytheformerPCB marketing director Zahid Bashir who had been sacked lately.

Shaharyarsaid that according to the higher court's order, all the contestants had been informed about theInterflow case. The board would fight it out, he vowed.