NEW DELHI, May 30: India's one-day series against South Africa in Britain and Ireland next month has been thrown into doubt by a television wrangle. Zee Telefilms, one of India's largest media firms, said it had cancelled its coverage of the series because the Indian cricket board did not respond to its demand to reduce the price of its five-year deal for overseas games, signed last year for more than $200 million.

“We have scrapped the deal,” Zee spokesman Ashish Kaul told said on Wednesday. “We have lost the exclusivity because of the government order and it has directly hit our revenue.”

He was referring to a government order which has made it mandatory for private TV companies to share televised cricket with the state-run Doordarshan channel.

Kaul said Zee could reconsider if the board met its demand.

Board secretary Niranjan Shah said it would respond on Thursday.

India and South Africa are due to meet in three one-dayers on June 26, 29 and July 1 in Belfast after playing one game each against Ireland.

No television coverage could affect sponsorship and seriously hit the series.—Reuters