The ECB have clashed with the BBC over their decision not to bid for the televised rights for domestic and international cricket.

Giles Clarke, the chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, turned on Britain's main public service broadcaster after announcing a US$600million (£300million) deal - spanning a four-year period and starting in 2010 - to continue their relationship with Sky Television and Five.

Sky have the live rights to all domestic and international cricket while Five have agreed a highlights package to be screened at 7.15pm and Welsh language station S4C will also show several matches involving Glamorgan.

But Clarke, who was heavily criticised for failing to secure any live coverage of cricket on terrestrial TV when the last contract was secured in 2006, has this time turned the tables by attacking the BBC for their decision to opt out of any bidding process.

"Now is the time for a real debate on the future of public sector sports broadcasting, which I know is under consideration and under review," said Clarke.

"All these people interested in cricket buy TV licences and surely they should have a right to expect that the public sector broadcasters mount bids for the nation's summer sport, as they do in the case of one of them for 12 other sports?

"After all, just how many people play Formula One? If the BBC is to remain part of this it must answer to the millions of cricket fans in England and Wales how it prioritises its investment in sports rights."

The ECB claim there are 19million people interested in cricket in this country with 2.5million men and boys and 900,000 women and girls participating in the sport at all levels.

With that in mind, the ECB were keen for the BBC or Channel Four, who had shown live coverage up until 2006, to secure at least some of the 35 packages on offer, which included the opportunity to buy individual Tests, series and competitions.

"They make investments in 12 other sports, but whether those sports attract the same level of participation I don't know," said Clarke.