New Zealand's captain Kane Williamson (C) leads his team off the pitch after winning the one-off Twenty20 cricket match between New Zealand and Zimbabwe. Photo / Getty Images.
New Zealand's captain Kane Williamson (C) leads his team off the pitch after winning the one-off Twenty20 cricket match between New Zealand and Zimbabwe. Photo / Getty Images.
The Black Caps tour of South Africa begins in the early hours of Saturday morning but it is looking increasingly doubtful that there will be television coverage.
The latest Skywatch magazine has no listings for the series. Sky spokeswoman Kirsty Way confirmed to the Herald that they have not beenable to reach an agreement with the agency working on behalf of South African Cricket.
"We currently do not have rights but we are in talks and are trying to get them," she said.
It is unlikely another broadcaster will come in to snatch the rights, leaving Sky as the only hope for cricket fans here to watch a team missing five of its best players - Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor and Corey Anderson - take on the team it thrillingly beat in this year's World Cup semifinal.
The stumbling block is understood to be the fee being asked for screening rights. That is different from the issue with the Zimbabwe tour. On that occasion Sky believed they had a deal to screen the matches, but a last-minute change of broadcasting brokerage agents meant they were forced to re-do the deal.
The five-match series begins with a T20 international in Durban. That is followed by a second T20 at Johannesburg on Sunday night, before three one-dayers at Jo'burg, Potchefstroom and Durban.
Sky said they would continue to negotiate even if they could not reach a deal for the T20s.
Meanwhile, Radio Sport is understood to be nearing an agreement to provide ball-by-ball commentary of the short tour.
