India's Nimbus [Get Quote] Communication has signed a four-year deal with UK broadcaster BSkyB's Sky Sports to beam India-based cricket into British homes, starting with England's [Images] current tour of India, Nimbus said on Friday.

The deal begins with the first Test of this year's series which begins on March 1.

It includes England's next series on Indian soil in 2009, as well as eight other tours by Test-playing nations, besides Indian domestic cricket, the statement said.

No financial details were disclosed.

"In Sky Sports we have found the ideal platform to showcase this exciting package of events," said Digvijay Singh, chief executive of Nimbus Sport, the sports arm of Nimbus Communications Ltd.

Nimbus, which does not have its own sports channel, will also be licensing a South Asian-language network the rights to broadcast the eight Test series not featuring England, the statement said.

Nimbus last week bought the Indian cricket board's global telecast rights for the next four years for $612 million (350 million pounds) after a protracted legal battle.

The television deal roughly covers 23 tests and some 55 one-dayers and was contested by firms including Zee Telefilms Ltd. and ESPN-Star Sports, a joint venture of Walt Disney [Images] Co. and News Corp.'s Star.

The privately-owned Nimbus also clinched the television production rights for all international and domestic matches in India till 2010.