World Series Cricket

World Series Cricket (WSC) was a breach of professional cricket competition held between 1977 and 1979 and organized by Kerry Packer for his Australian television network Nine Network. The opposition parties ran in the established international cricket. World Series Cricket changed radically the nature of cricket, and his influence is still felt today.
The series originally due to two main factors: the widespread view that players are not paid enough to live cricket, Packer and wanted to secure exclusive broadcasting rights for cricket in Australia, then held by Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

When the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) has refused to accept Channel Nine bid for the exclusive TV rights to Australian Test matches in 1976, Packer has established a series of secretly signing agreements with leading Australian, British, Pakistani, South African and players of the West Indies, England captain Tony Greig, in particular, West Indies captain Clive Lloyd, Australian captain Greg Chappell and former Australian captain Ian Chappell. Packer was attended by businessmen John Cornell and Austin Robertson, two of whom were involved in the initial configuration and management of the series.


Kerry Packer And The Australian Television Industry 

In the decade of 1970, the Australian television industry was at a crossroads. Since its inception in 1956, commercial television in Australia have developed a dependency on imported programs, particularly the United States, the purchase of which was less expensive than the launch of Australian productions. Agitation for more Australian programming has gained momentum in the "TV: Make Australia" .. The campaign in 1970 This led to a quota system imposed by the government in 1973 The advent of color broadcasting in 1975 significantly improved the sport as a TV show and especially Australian sport counted as local content . However, sports administrators perceived live telecasts to have a negative effect on attendance. The correlation between sport, sponsorship and corporate television exposure was not evident for the Australian sports administrators at the time.

After the death of his father Sir Frank in 1974 regained control of Channel Nine Kerry Packer, one of many media interests held by the family company Consolidated Press Holdings (CPH). With nine grades languid, Packer sought to turn the network around an aggressive strategy that included more sports programming. First, he obtained the rights for the golf tournament, Australian Open. He has spent millions of Australian dollars converted Golf Club in Sydney as a permanent home for the tournament. Jack Nicklaus was hired to redesign the course and appear in the tournament.Packer was a cricket fan, who was undergoing a resurgence in popularity in the mid-1970s. In 1976, Packer sought the rights to broadcast the matches of Australia home test, the contract was to expire. He approached the ACB with an offer of three years $ 1.5 million (eight times the previous contract), but it was rejected.

World Series Cricket

He decided to get some of the Channel Nine cricket, Packer offered to test and County Cricket Board (TCCB), and broadcasting the Australian tour to England, designed in 1977. His interest was further stimulated by a proposal to play a few games shows are television, the idea was presented to him in West Australian businessmen John Cornell and Austin Robertson,. Robertson has managed several high-profile cricketers Dennis Lillee as Australia.

Packer had this idea, and then expanded to a full range of the best players from Australia and one team in the world. His distrust of the administrators of cricket in depth when the ACB has recommended TCCB accept an offer of their allowances from the ABC, even though ABC is offering about thirty percent less than Packer. For the first time the party bureaucracy was a demonstration of how Packer. immediately doubled his original offer and was awarded the contract However, he never forgot the machinations involved in the winning bid.
 felt loyal to the ABC, ACB, which was to send the game for twenty years, when the commercial networks have shown little interest in the game. Packer believed that it was "old boy network" element of the decision , and he was furious, so contemptuous that his offer had been discussed. Government-funded ABC could not hope to offer a commercial network, but they have got another three-year contract worth only $ 210,000, beginning 1976-77 season.

Dedications Secret 

Packers planning of the project "Exposure" series was bold. In early 1977, he began to experience a list of Australian players who have recently retired Australian Test captain Ian Chappell. A major coup was achieved when Packer convinced England captain Tony Greig to not only sign, but to act as an agent of the signing of many players around the world. At the time of the season culminated in the Centenary Test match between Australia and England in Melbourne in March 1977, about two dozen players had committed the company to Packer as yet had no reason to play, not the administration and was no secret throughout the cricket world. It was a goal for the discontent of cricketers with the officials they were ready to sign for what was still a vague concept, and always keep everything hidden.

By the time the Australian team on tour in England, arrived in May 1977, 1,317 members and the team was committed to the packer. WSC News plans were accidentally leaked to the Australian journalists who broke the story of May 9. Immediately, all hell broke off so far in the conservative world of cricket. Not surprisingly, in England, have been critical of what they quickly dubbed the "Packer Circus" and specifically reserved for the bitterness, the England captain Tony Greig, for his key role in organizing the break-away. Greig, has maintained its position as a team, but was stripped of the captain, and ostracized by all the cricket establishment, most of whom had been singing his praises just weeks before.

It seemed certain that all Packer players would be banned from Test cricket and first class. The Australian players were a group divided, and the management made their dissatisfaction clear to the signatories Packer.
discouraged by the turn of events and hampered by poor form and indifferent weather, Australia crashed to a 3-0 defeat, surrender the ashes won two years earlier.

Trial 

Largely unknown to Kerry Packer, has arrived in London in late May 1977.  She has appeared on David Frost Frost, a program to discuss his concept of commentators Jim Laker and Robin Marlar. Marlar aggressive, angry questioning Packer Packer came unstuck when it turned out to be articulate, bright and confident that his vision was the way of the future. shows clearly raise the profile of the packer and to convert some of his thoughts. The main objective of his trip was to meet officials of the game, and to conduct a sort of compromise. He made a smart move Richie Benaud as a consultant providing. Benaud appreciation of the game, and his journalistic background Packer guided through the political game.

Cricket World governing body the International Cricket Conference (ICC) has now entered a controversy initially perceived as a problem within Australia. They met with Packer, BENAUD and two assistants to the Lord on June 23 to discuss plans for WSC. After 90 minutes of compromise on both sides have almost created a common ground, Packer demanded that the ICC grant him exclusive rights to Australian television for the 1978-1979 season ended. It was not under the ICC to do so  Packer and assault of the meeting to provide the following declaration of war pure :

If I had the TV rights, I was ready to withdraw from the scene and leave the management of the cricket board. I will not take action now to help someone. It's every man for himself and devil take the back.

The explosion destroyed all the goodwill that Packer had created when it first appeared on television before, and alarmed his players under contract, he saw his regime to be as philanthropic as well as commercial.  The ICC has decided to treat with contempt Packer diagram when a month later, Packer decided to match the condition would not be first class and the players were banned game Test cricket and first class.

A number of players signed today the withdrawal is considered . Jeff Thomson and Alvin Kallicharan had broken their contracts found to have binding agreements with a radio station forcing them to play for the Queensland . Packer has moved quickly to consolidate support, meeting with players and take legal measures to prevent third parties, to encourage players to break their contracts. In order to clarify the legal implications (including proposed bans), Packer has supported a challenge to the Supreme Court TCCB by three players: Tony Greig, Mike Procter and John Snow.

The case began Sept. 26, 1977 and lasted seven weeks. The cricket authorities are recommended, said that if the best cricket players deserted the traditional, then the proceeds would be reduced. Mr. Packer's lawyers have argued that the ICC had tried to force the Packer players to break their contracts and to prevent others from joining them. Justice Sir Christopher Slade held the following nine points needed to be taken into consideration:

The contracts between the MSC and its players empty?
Have CSM held August 3, subject to any legal immunity by the 1974 Act , it was a good reason for tort action against the ICC is based on inducing breach of contract?
CSM determined that the August 3 subject as aforesaid, he had a good reason for the action in tort against TCCB based on the same grounds?

Notwithstanding the provisions of the Act of 1974, the new rules of the International Criminal Court to zero in free trade?
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the proposed new rules are TCCB zero due to free trade?
And 'the association of employers', during the ICC Act 1974?
TCCB is an association of employers?
If one or both of the ICC or TCCB organizations of employers', this in itself does not block all actions that would otherwise exist?
Taking into account the responses, what a relief (if any) should be given (a) individual applicants, and (b) WSC?

Justice Slade said Cricket cited professional needs to make a living, and the International Criminal Court should not be prevented only for their own interests could be damaged. He said the International Criminal Court could not extend the concept of fairness too far. Players can not be accused of writing in secret agreements leading authorities deny players the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of WSC.

The decision was a blow to the cricket authorities, when they had to pay court costs. England cricket team in the county were pleased that their players who signed to play for the Packers were still eligible to play for them.