MINISTER RAPS ECB FOR HUNDRED’S SNACK DEAL

THE ECB have been criticised by the Government over The Hundred’s sponsorship deal with KP Snacks. English cricket’s new 100-ball competition will see all eight teams wear shirts displaying logos of the company’s crisps, nuts and popcorn products, to the anger of anti-obesity campaign groups. In the wake of the criticism, KP Snacks announced last week that they would not put their branding on children’s replica shirts, something the Obesity Health Alliance insisted did not go far enough. Now Sports Minister Nigel Adams has revealed he

has raised his concerns about the sponsorship deal with ECB chairman Colin Graves. ‘It’s very disappointing from my perspective to see a salty snack firm sponsoring a new, exciting cricket competition, which is aimed at getting kids into the game,’ Adams told Sportsmail. ‘That was one dropped in the slips by the ECB. I have spoken to Colin. It was an odd choice of sponsorship and more than an eyebrow was raised.’ Adams’ intervention is significant because he is a huge cricket supporter and was once a member of Yorkshire’s members committee, the county Graves chaired before his ECB appointment. KP Snacks have signed a ‘long-term’ partnership with The Hundred, a deal which is said to be worth around £4million. The ECB have defended their choice of sponsor previously, saying: ‘Across their portfolio of brands, KP has almost unprecedented reach into the lives of all of Britain’s diverse consumers and is keen to work with us to help grow the game of cricket.’