Old sponsor may end up on Aussie Test shirts

CRICKET Australia has signed telecommunications giant Vodafone to a rich new deal, as it weighs up whether to splash another sponsor across the sacred team shirt.

As part of its bid to help nations through the financial strain of COVID-19, the International Cricket Council has given teams a 12-month window in which they are allowed to display a shirt sponsor across their white Test shirts.

England and the West Indies seized on the chance to give loyal sponsors a greater plug during their recent Test series, but CA is still uncertain about whether it wants to make the break from tradition.

The pressure has been taken off that decision now that Vodafone has signed a landmark three-year deal with CA to replace Domain as naming rights sponsor, nearly a decade after an 11-year association with the men’s Test team.

Between 2001 and 2012, Vodafone and its previous affiliates Orange and 3 had their brand associated with teams captained by Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke.

The big difference this time is Vodafone has agreed to be not only naming rights sponsors for the men’s team but for the women’s international side and WBBL.

Normally sponsors want to align themselves with one part of the business, but Vodafone’s decision is a reflection of how big women’s sport has become for commercial partners.

“Vodafone has a long history with cricket, so it’s really like reuniting with them,” CA chief executive Nick Hockley said.