After years of wrangles over television broadcast rights, the SABC and MNet have finally come to an amicable agreement which will bring the national team's cricket tour of Pakistan, beginning later this month, to all South Africans.
Ali Bacher, managing director of the United Cricket Board, announced late last night that the SABC had obtained the rights to televise the three-match Test series between Hansie Cronje's team and Pakistan, as well as all the one-day internationals during the quadrangular tournament, which will feature World Cup champions Sri Lanka and the West Indies.
The Test and one-dayers will be broadcast on a ball-by-ball basis by the SABC, while later in the day MNet will televise a highlights package of each day's play.
Bacher said: "We are pleased that both stations have come to an agreement as this benefits all South African cricket supporters as well as our sponsors Castle and Standard Bank."
Meanwhile, Bacher also announced that MNet had acquired the broadcast rights to all of SA's Test and one-day matches - all on a ball-by-ball basis - during the tour of Australia later in the year. And, like the Pakistan tour, the SABC will broadcast a highlights package on each day of the Tests and one-day internationals.
However, the situation at home has not changed and the SABC still have exclusive rights to all SA's Test and one-day internationals played on home soil. Under the terms of that agreement, MNet will not broadcast any highlights packages of these matches.