IOC Criticizes Indian Cricket Council's Photo Agency Banishment From England's Cricket Tour

The IOC "has criticised Indian cricket authorities, accusing them of attacking press freedom by preventing photographers from covering games between Indian and England," according to the London TELEGRAPH. IOC Press Commission Chair Kevan Gosper has asked the Int'l Cricket Council "to intervene to allow news organisations free access to the cricket games between two of the world's top teams." Int'l news organizations, including the AP, "suspended text and photo coverage of England's cricket tour of India on Wednesday because of new restrictions introduced by the BCCI." Gosper said, "The IOC strongly disagrees with these moves by the BCCI, which we believe are a direct attack on the freedom of the media to report from sporting events, and shows contempt for the sporting public around the world who would otherwise like to follow these important matches." The BCCI has banned photo-only agencies from covering games. Other int'l news organizations have also suspended coverage. The British press "has refused to publish photographs" of the match that began on Thursday in Ahmedabad (TELEGRAPH, 11/17).