MUMBAI: Sahara One?s latest musical offering Sur-Kshetra is a face off between two traditional rivals India and Pakistan.

The competition will scout and train top singing talents in the two nations. The two teams will be headed by Himesh Reshamiya (India) and Atif Aslam (Pakistan). The show is produced and directed by Gajendra Singh?s Saaibaba Telefilms which has to its credit shows like Saregama, Voice of India, Music Ka Maha Muqaabala and Chote Ustaad.

The show will premiere in late January and the channel will soon announce the jury for the same.

Sahara One Media and Entertainment assistant director worker Suresh Mishra said, "Even though political boundaries have divided our two nations, music has always fostered a common and harmonious bond. With our new musical show - Sur-Kshetra, we are making an attempt to revive the golden era and to bring forth the best of talents from India and Pakistan for our viewers."

Sur-Kshetra will be shot in Dubai and the auditions for the show begin today with Lucknow and Kolkata in India. A total of six cities in India and three cities in Pakistan will see auditions. After selecting the contestants, they will be trained by the two mentors and will finally compete on the big stage.

Saaibaba Telefilms founder and MD Gajendra Singh said, "Music has always inspired me to explore new avenues. With ?Sur-Kshetra? we aim to touch newer heights and create a new musical world."

MUMBAI: UTV Bindass, the youth channel from the UTV Group, is launching a new non-fiction drama series The Khan Sisters, which allows its viewers to take a sneak peek in to the real lifestyle of B-town sisters Gauahar & Nigaar Khan.

Premiering on 19 November, the show will be aired every Saturday at 7 pm.

The show consists of 13 episodes, showcasing a mixture of reality and drama. It brings to fore the lives the sisters lead in Mumbai, Delhi and Dubai- the love, the fights and the differences in their lives.

UTV Bindass business head Keith Alphonso said, "The treatment of the show is refreshingly different from anything else that you would have seen before on Indian television. With this show we aim to redefine the reality genre. The Khan Sisters is all about discovering the unseen side of the reel stars. I am sure the audience would love to get a sneak peek into their lives."

The show is a window into their private world of the two sisters. It?s about all those unspoken territories that happen in a celebrity?s life. As the show progresses, it will go on to divulge the developments that take shape in the lives of the Khan sisters and their family, all of this while the camera rolls on.

MUMBAI: The International cricket Council (ICC) executive board has confirmed their preference to host an ICC Test Championship in 2013.

But at the same time it has recognised the significant commercial challenge in trying to replace the Champions Trophy. Without the support and consent of their broadcast partner ESPN Star Sports, the financial implications on the Members and the development of the game would be significant.

The ICC Executive Board held its fourth and final scheduled meeting of the year at the ICC headquarters in Dubai yesterday.

ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat said, ?It would be unfortunate if the Test Championship is delayed to 2017 but the board needs to balance several objectives."

Lorgat has also been quoted in media reports saying that a
championship format in which India might miss out on taking part was also a consideration for the executive board. India is in third spot in the Test rankings, having lost the top spot after the thrashing in England.

The ICC will need to have a meeting with ESS before taking a decision.

Meanwhile, in accordance with the current constitutional requirements.

MUMBAI: Ten Sports has bagged the television production and broadcasting rights of the Mena Golf Tour.

The tour will be shown in the Indian sub-continent through Ten Sports and Ten Action+. Fox Sports Middle East, Al Jazeera, Abu Dhabi Media Company and Showtime will air the tour highlights in the Mena region.

Said Ten Sports CEO Atul Pande, "This new agreement with the Mena Golf Tour reaffirms our commitment to grow the sports business and consolidate our position as the leading sports broadcaster. The tour will receive a wide coverage."

Ten Sports is in the process of confirming other broadcasters. "We will very soon be able to announce the details. The Mena Golf Tour is a great initiative and will undoubtedly play an important role in enhancing the popularity of the sport in and around the region."

Promoted and organised by ?Golf in Dubai,? the Mena Golf Tour is a new initiative by the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation, featuring four back-to-back tournaments in its inaugural edition.

The first event will be held at the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club from 25-28 September while the second and third event will be played from 2 - 5 October 2011 and 9 - 12 October 2011 at the Tower Links Golf in Ras Al Khaimah and Dubai?s Al Badia Golf Club respectively, before the tour reaches its climax with the ?Tour Championship? to be held at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf from 16 to 19 October.

As part of the agreement, Ten Sports will produce a 30-minute highlights package of each of the four events in addition to running a news capsule on the final day of each event of the Mena Golf Tour. There will also be an additional highlights show of one-hour duration which will incorporate all the four events.

The top three professionals and the leading amateur from the Order of Merit will receive special invitations to compete in the 2012 Omega Dubai Desert Classic and, possibly, other European Tour events in the region.

Mena Golf Tour chairman Mohamed Juma Buamaim said, "Ten Sports shares our vision for golf which is fastest growing sport in Asia and the Mena region and has a very strong appeal to young people."

Buamaim is also Golf in Dubai vice chairman and CEO. They are the promoters and organisers of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters.

The Mena Golf Tour, boasting a combined prize fund of $225,000, is open to both professionals and amateurs from any part of the world.