Broadcast rights to cricket in England are up for grabs in 2005

Test matches could be lost to terrestrial television, the man charged with negotiating broadcasting rights for cricket in England has warned.

The current media rights contracts, including the deal for England Test matches held by Channel 4, expire after next summer's Ashes series.

And the England and Wales Cricket Board is keen to cash in on the heightened popularity of the game.

"There is a huge amount of broadcaster interest," said Giles Clarke.

Clarke heads the ECB's Marketing Advisory Committee and is also chairman of Somerset.

When asked if cricket would remain the preserve of terrestrial television, Clarke told BBC's Test Match Special: "I think we have a completely open mind.

"What we're interested in is attractive proposals that recognise this is the most valuable sporting property being offered in the television market in the UK this year.

Cricket needs to finance itself and we have to pay for our England team Giles Clarke

"We have an obligation as stewards of the game to have an open mind to all proposals. We have a game to finance and a game to pay for.

"Somebody cannot put forward a proposal that does not give us a proper and fair value for what we are offering just because they think we should be presented in one particular medium."

The recent success of the England Test team, coupled with the unqualified success of the Twenty20 Cup, has seen cricket's popularity soar.

"We have currently the second-best Test team in the world, quite possibly by the end of next year the best," Clarke added.

"We have enormous audience interest. We had have growth in attendances 20% up this year on 20% up the year before.

"And we've got a new product in Twenty20 that has produced tremendous interest from broadcasting comnpanies who previously have never broadcast cricket."

Clarke admitted the general public needed access to the England team, but said a balance had to be struck.

"Cricket needs to project itself and enable itself to be watched and listened to by its millions of supporters," he said.

"But it also needs to finance itself, and we have to pay for our England team and our young county professionals.

"There is an important balance to strike and that's why the broadcasters need very sharp pencils if they're keen to be involved."

Channel 4 gained rights to England's Test matches in 1999, ending the BBC's 61-year tenure.

Satellite broadcaster BSkyB, which would be frontrunners to win the England Test contract, currently screen international one-day matches as well as some county games.

The ECB has recruited leading marketing agency The Interpublic Group to advise on the rights negotiations.