The Supreme Court will Wednesday give its verdict on a writ petition filed by Zee Telefilms challenging the cancellation of contract awarded to it by the Indian cricket board.

The court will also define the status of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and whether it was subject to government control. Also, the apex court will decide if the board could be called a 'state' within the meaning of Article 12 of the Indian Constitution.

The Supreme Court had Oct 5 reserved its verdict on the maintainability of a writ petition filed by Zee Telefilms challenging the cancellation of contract awarded to it by the BCCI for telecast of the home series against Australia.

However, a five judge constitution bench, headed by N. Santosh Hegde, cleared the decks for the Prasar Bharati to telecast live the India-Australia -- and the India-South Africa series as well as the platinum jubilee one day international against -- on its the national network.

The bench, also comprising Justice S.N. Variava, Justice B.P. Singh, Justice H.K. Sema and Justice S.B. Sinha, had passed that order while deferring the hearing on an application filed by Zee Telefilms questioning the decision of the BCCI to award the national telecast rights to Doordarshan and overseas rights to Sony network, observing that it would first decide the maintainability of Zee's writ petition.