MELBOURNE: The blood-letting in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal that has hit Australian cricket is still to run its course.
Australia’s Magellan Financial Group Ltd cancelled a naming rights sponsorship deal with Cricket Australia even as the country’s governing body slapped principal protagonists Steven Smith and David Warner with one-year bans.
It was only last October that Magellan had signed up with Cricket Australia in a three-year agreement. The partnership, which commenced with the 2017-18 Ashes series, had filled a gap created after the Commonwealth Bank scaled back its commitment to the sport earlier in 2017.
A statement issued Thursday by Magellan CEO Hamish Douglass reads: “A conspiracy by the leadership of the Australian Men’s Test Cricket Team which broke the rules with a clear intention to gain an unfair advantage during the third test in South Africa goes to the heart of integrity.
“These recent events are so inconsistent with our values that we are left with no option but to terminate our ongoing partnership with Cricket Australia.”
Australian media have reported that the Magellan sponsorship was worth A$17-20 million.
Sports apparel maker ASICS Corp meanwhile cancelled sponsorship deals with Warner and Test opener Cameron Bancroft, the third actor in the sordid saga, effective immediately.
“The decisions and actions taken by David Warner and Cameron Bancroft are not something that ASICS tolerates and are contrary to the values the company stands for,” the ASICS statement said.
For Warner, ASICS was the second sponsor in two days to abandon him. South Korean electronics major LG had already said it would not be extending its deal with the 31-year-old that was soon to expire.
Similarly, cereal make Sanitarium also dropped Smith as their ambassador.
Smith was a Weet-Bix brand ambassador, a prestigious brand association for Australian sports stars.
“Weet-Bix ambassadors represent our brand values of trust and integrity, and they speak to everything that is good about being Australian,” Sanitarium Australia executive general manager Todd Saunders stated.
“Their role as a ‘Weet-Bix Kid’ is to inspire millions of Aussie kids to be the best they can be. Based on the ball tampering incident and the findings of Cricket Australia’s investigation, we are unable to continue our relationship with Steve Smith.
“We recognise the immense pressure and the consequent health and wellbeing impacts this incident has had, and will continue to have, on the players concerned and on the broader Australian Cricket Team. As such, Sanitarium has offered support to Cricket Australia to ensure that player wellbeing is a priority at this time.”
Other Cricket Australia sponsors, however, stood by the organisation, saying they were satisfied with its handling of the matter, Reuters reports.
A spokesman for Yum! Brands Inc, owner of fast food chain KFC, a Cricket Australia sponsor, told Reuters in an email it was “pleased that Cricket Australia has dealt with this incident swiftly for the benefit of the game and its fans” without commenting further.
A spokesperson for Toyota Corp told the newsswire the carmaker supported “Cricket Australia’s decision to initiate an independent review into the conduct and culture of the Australian men’s teams”.
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