The cricket telecast war has intensified with Zee Network, reportedly the highest bidder for the Board of Control for Cricket in India rights, claiming that it had the production expertise and was planning to launch a full-fledged sports channel once they bag the rights.

"We have met all the requirements and have no reason to believe that we are not eligible for telecast rights. We will utilise our internal capacities in the first year of getting the rights and intend to launch a full-fledged sports channel in the second year," a Zee Network spokesperson said.

Zee's response came a day after ESPN-Star Sports claimed to have made the highest qualifying bid for the lucrative telecast rights of cricket matches in India from the current season to 2007-08.

"Under the terms for the bid for BCCI cricket, the ESPN-Star Sports bid was the highest qualifying bid under the rules of bidding specified by the BCCI," R C Venkatesh, Managing Director of the private television network, said in a media release.

Referring to claims of Zee Network that they were the highest bidder, he said the company had offered a larger bid but did not qualify since they did not have prior experience of broadcasting live matches.

"Although Zee Network had offered a larger bid, they clearly did not qualify as they have had no experience of broadcasting or producing live international cricket event as specified in the tender," he claimed.

The Zee spokesperson, however, said that the channel had telecast live and deferred live about 20 international series since 1995.

"If we were not eligible how was our bid entertained by the BCCI," the spokesperson asked.

The group has the largest in-house production facilities in the entire SAARC region, he said adding, it would utilise its vast internal capabilities for the telecast.

In line with the BCCI's vision to develop domestic cricket, the group would commit about Rs 94 crore (Rs 941 million) for the cause, he said.

The deadline for submission of sealed bids for the telecast and radio broadcast rights ended at 2.00 p.m. on Saturday.

BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya confirmed to PTI from Kolkata that the bids were opened yesterday in the presence of all the bidders along with BCCI Finance Committee chairman N Srinivasan and Joint Secretary R S Shetty.

"Audit firm PricewaterhouseCoopers were asked to receive and open the bids which were signed by the notary public as per law," Dalmiya said.

"The papers are, however, yet to be received by me, so I am in no position to say whose bid is the highest," he said.