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Tag: Cricket Australia

  • Cricket Australia app gets genAI lift courtesy HCLTech and Microsoft

    Cricket Australia app gets genAI lift courtesy HCLTech and Microsoft

    MUMBAI: Global technology leaders HCLTech and Microsoft have partnered with Cricket Australia to leverage generative AI (GenAI) to transform the live match experience for cricket fans through the Cricket Australia Live app.

    The app’s new AI Insights matchday companion delivers a continuous stream of text-based updates during matches. Using advanced AI with a deep understanding of cricket, the feature highlights key narratives, player performances, and significant milestones, providing insights that extend beyond live scores and commentary.
    The AI Insights feature launched on 31 January during the day-night test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) as part of the CommBank Women’s Ashes series between Australia and England. This innovation is now available to all users of the Cricket Australia Live app worldwide.

    “By harnessing the power of generative AI, we can reimagine how fans engage with sport,” said HCLTech  executive vice president and country manager for Australia and New ZealandSonia Eland. “We’ve partnered with Cricket Australia for several years as their official digital technology partner, and this  collaboration with Microsoft will further enhance the digital experience, bringing fans closer to the action.”

    Cricket Australia utilised Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service alongside HCLTech’s front-end and API development expertise to create the AI companion.

    “We’re delighted to bring cutting-edge AI technology to cricket fans through our partnership with Cricket Australia and HCLTech,” said Microsoft Australia and New Zealand CTO Sarah Carney “This innovation shows how generative AI can transform interactions, providing personalised insights and deeper meaning for audiences.”

    HCLTech first partnered with Cricket Australia in 2019 to modernise its core API platforms. In 2023, the partnership was extended for another five years. Key initiatives have included TechJam, a crowdsourcing effort to develop innovative solutions for the sport, and ongoing improvements that have made Cricket Australia Live the leading sports app in Australia.

    “We are thrilled to collaborate with HCLTech and Microsoft to deliver brilliant experiences for our fans,” said Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley. “Our goal is to lead the world in using digital technologies to bring fans closer to the game, and this latest innovation is a step forward in that journey.”

  • The satirical conceit of The Grade Cricketer is that Australian cricket is superior to all else: Sam and Ian

    The satirical conceit of The Grade Cricketer is that Australian cricket is superior to all else: Sam and Ian

    Mumbai: Podcasts have emerged as a popular medium for engaging content, and India is no exception to this trend. Amidst the thriving podcast culture, cricket fans are finding new and innovative ways to connect with their beloved sport. As the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup generates its usual buzz, one podcast, in particular, stands out for its unique blend of humour and cricket insights: The Grade Cricketer.

    Hosted by Sam Perry and Ian Higgins, The Grade Cricketer (TGC) podcast has carved a niche for itself in the cricketing world. The podcast offers an authentic and refreshing take on cricket, combining sharp wit with in-depth analysis. This distinctive style has struck a chord with cricket enthusiasts, especially in India, where an impressive 62 per cent of their listeners are based.

    TGC has hosted a range of cricketing legends and celebrities, including Sunil Gavaskar, Ricky Ponting, Brett Lee, Wasim Akram, Shubman Gill, Faf du Plessis, Glenn James Maxwell, Shane Watson, Harsha Bhogle, Gaurav Kapur, Tanmay Bhat, Danish Sait, Adam Zampa, Ravi Shastri, Glenn Maxwel, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans and Brian Lara, among others.Though they never crossed paths on-field, Ian Higgins’ background in Law and Sam Perry’s in communications have helped them illuminate the rich, dark underbelly of cricket. With trademark irreverence, they chronicle as it really is, with all its complex social dynamics and masculine by-play. In a nutshell, they are fans who say it like it is and that’s what differentiates them from the rest of the publishers out there. Their fans love the original approach and their numbers validate their approach.

    TGC’s influence extends beyond traditional media. They command an audience of over 800,000+ on social media and have a highly engaged YouTube channel with over 289K subscribers. Their content has amassed over 36.2M video views and 81.7M+ impressions, demonstrating their strong engagement metrics. Notably, TGC’s average engagement rate of 3.46% per video on YouTube is significantly higher than the platform’s average of 0.40%.

    Indiantelevision.com caught up with Sam Perry and Ian Higgins, where both shared their story on the inception behind the podcasts, the memorable experience during the show and much more…

    Edited excerpts

    On the story behind the inception of The Grade Cricketer podcast

    Pez (Sam Perry) founded The Grade Cricketer, which began as a Twitter account in 2011. Soon after a few friends became involved in creating content, including Higgos (Ian Higgins). We expanded the character first through the medium of books, followed by a podcast. Since then, the podcast has become the centrepiece of the venture, but we’ve developed our work through video on YouTube, TV, and live shows.

    On striking the balance between entertaining and informing your audience

    It’s just a reflection of our personalities and our personal experience of playing cricket. While we love the game, it is naturally unforgiving, so humour is a very helpful lens through which to cope with the pain it inflicts. That said, the humour wouldn’t work if it wasn’t underpinned by hard-won insights. We both played the game for decades, chasing the dream of playing for Australia, accruing homespun knowledge about how it works and, importantly, how it feels.

    On Indian cricket fans resonating the most with

    We’ll never fully know, but I don’t think it differs too much from other audiences. There’s a lot of cricket narration focused on dry insights and statistics – which is great, by the way. But many cricket fans prefer humour with their cricket, which TGC caters for.  

    On sharing a memorable moment or episode from the podcast that had a significant impact on your audience

    The opportunity to interview Harsha Bhogle for an hour, in-person, was very special to us and resonated with our audience. Harsha has a deep understanding of not only contemporary Indian cricket, but also Indian history, society and culture. For two Australians looking to better connect with and understand the context of Indian cricket, we were truly grateful to receive his knowledge.

    On the podcast changing your perspective on cricket and its community

    The central, satirical conceit of The Grade Cricketer is that Australian cricket is superior to all else, and we view the game accordingly. Fortunately, or otherwise, doing this show has given us an authentic appreciation of the extent of people’s love for the game, all around the world, and particularly in India.

    On your future plans for The Grade Cricketer podcast

    We’d just like to continue providing joy and entertainment for anyone who likes humour with their cricket. And who knows, maybe there’s a documentary out there comparing Australia’s main fields with India’s maidans.  

  • Cricket Australia & Star Sports partnership soars with viewership surge

    Cricket Australia & Star Sports partnership soars with viewership surge

    Mumbai: Cricket Australia and Star Sports, the official broadcaster of Australian Cricket in India, are pleased to announce a surge in Indian viewership of the recently concluded Men’s Big Bash League (BBL) 2023/24 and Pakistan tour of Australia. More than 55 million viewers watched the entire BBL 23/24 season on Star Sports Network, 203 per cent more than the previous season, making it the most-watched edition in India. Furthermore, the broadcaster has recorded 3.75 billion minutes of watch time, 105 per cent higher than the previous season. The playoffs and the final on Star Sports were produced in five languages for the first time ever.

    Furthermore, the bilateral series between Australia and Pakistan witnessed more than 9.5 million viewers tune in for the 3 test matches, a remarkable 54 per cent increase compared to the previous Pakistan tour down under.

    The increased interest in Australian Cricket after a successful World Cup campaign in India and the promise of action-packed contests combined with growing penetration of the Star Sports Network (available in nine out of 10 pay TV homes), a well-rounded marketing campaign promoting the Australian summer and high-quality broadcasts customised for Indian fans, paved the way for this surge in viewership.

    Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley said, “We are delighted with the strong interest in Australian cricket in India and that this has translated into such big viewing audiences on Star Sports. It is particularly pleasing that the BBL has reached a massive 55 million viewers this season, which is a testament to the quality of cricket and the brilliant coverage being offered by Star Sports, including in multiple languages for the BBL Finals. That more than 9.5 million viewers tuned into Star Sports for the recent series against Pakistan is a testament to the interest in this world champion Australian team and the enduring passion for Test cricket in India.”

    “We can’t wait to host India next summer for the five-Test Border Gavaskar Test Series, at a time when Australia and India are the two top-ranked Test teams in the world. We look forward to working with Star to expand our localised offering to Indian fans in time for next summer’s blockbuster season”, he added.

    Disney Star head sports Sanjog Gupta said, “The growth in viewership for the Australian summer is testament to the compelling combination of Australian Cricket’s popularity, Star Sports’ brand equity (as the most loved destination for sports) and the TV network’s wide distribution.  The significant growth in watch time and engagement also demonstrates the Indian fan’s appreciation for quality Cricket and willingness to watch different forms of the sport. The added context of Australia’s World Cup win in India and key content initiatives including the addition of Indian languages for BBL playoffs, have acted as boosters to the inherent strength of this collaboration between CA and Disney Star. We are thrilled with the strong start of the journey together.”

    Star Sports is currently airing the West Indies tour of Australia, a riveting series comprising two tests, three ODIs, and three T20Is. Considering the growing interest in Australian cricket on Star Sports, the T20Is between Australia and West Indies will be broadcast in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada on the Star Sports Network. The Women’s cricket series between Australia and South Africa is also being aired on the Star Sports Network in India. As the partnership between Cricket Australia and Star Sports continues to evolve, fans can expect even more exciting initiatives, innovative technology, and captivating content that will further elevate the cricket viewing experience for viewers across India.

    Source: BARC 2+U+R

  • Disney Star to broadcast Australian cricket in India from 2024-25

    Disney Star to broadcast Australian cricket in India from 2024-25

    Mumbai: Disney Star has inked a seven-year deal with Cricket Australia (CA) to broadcast all men’s and women’s international cricket as well as the Big Bash League (BBL) and Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) throughout India & the rest of Asia.

    The deal estimated at $250 million will begin during the 2023-24 cycle. Cricket Australia is the national governing body for cricket in Australia.

    Earlier, Disney Star held CA’s broadcast rights after which Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) India took over the rights. India is set to play a five-test series in Australia starting December & January (2024-25). It will be the first time India has played a five-test series in Australia since 1991-92. Disney Star will also hold the rights to Australia’s next home Ashes series in the summer of 2025-26.

    “Disney Star’s massive audience reach will provide enormous exposure for Australian cricket and CA’s commercial partners in the world’s largest cricket market,” said the statement.

    Disney Star also recently retained the TV broadcast rights for the T20 Indian Premier League from 2023-27 for Rs 23,575 crore. “CA’s alignment with the IPL broadcaster will ensure multiple benefits including widespread cross-promotion of the BBL,” it further noted.

    “We are delighted to announce this new association with Disney Star from season 2023-24 onwards,” said Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley. “Disney Star is synonymous with the game in India and we look forward to working with them to showcase the outstanding cricket played in Australia every summer.”

    “The magnitude of this association is testament to the enduring rivalry and respect that exists between Australian and Indian teams, the excitement and popularity of WBBL and BBL, and the high regard of Australian cricket in India and global markets more broadly,” he added.

    “There was significant interest in our rights and we are very grateful to our current rights holder Sony for their partnership which will continue throughout this season.”

    “Cricket Australia represents some of the best content that the world of cricket has to offer, be it the standard of cricket played, the popularity of Aussie Cricketers, the rivalries and narratives or the context of playing in front of expressive crowds and tough conditions,” said Disney Star head of sports Sanjog Gupta.

    “Disney Star has been delighting millions of Indian fans by showcasing marquee cricket across our linear & digital platforms. Some of the most memorable moments for Indian fans have been produced in Australia and we look forward to elevating many more such moments with our unique brand of story-telling, programming, local activations and tech-enabled experiences in association with Cricket Australia,” he added.

  • In a first, Rexona books umpires’ armpits for advertising

    In a first, Rexona books umpires’ armpits for advertising

    NEW DELHI: One may have heard of underarm bowling in cricket, but underarm advertising has to be a first. In the latest, Rexona has partnered with Cricket Australia and Big Bash League (BBL 2020) in a unique sponsorship deal that does not include players, but focuses on umpires instead.

    The deodorant and antiperspirant brand will be advertising on the underarms of the umpires. The use of armpits for product placement is believed to be a first in the world of sports.

    The deal requires umpires in the BBL 2020 to sport the product’s branding under their arms, which will be fully revealed to the watching world upon the signalling of a six (both arms raised, two logos revealed) or a bye (just one).

    Along with the six, Rexona brand will also be sighted when an umpire raises his finger to give a batsman out. Other than this the brand will feature on cardboard cut-outs of umpires in supermarkets and retail outlets, according to reports in Australian media.

    The deal is the latest in a string of commercial partnerships either renewed or acquired by Cricket Australia this year. The organisation will generate a record $70 million in sponsorship this summer, despite the financial difficulties presented by the Covid2019 pandemic.

    Rexona is the 22nd sponsor to join cricket’s stable of commercial partners as part of its strategy to “own the underarm space” during summer for Cricket Australia.

    This season beside Rexona, Australian board has clinched landmark sponsorship deals with Dettol as T20 and ODI series sponsor, Vodafone as Test Match series sponsor. Besides this KFC has been renewed as title sponsor of the BBL 2020, with Cricket Australia rejecting $10 million a year offer by rival fast food giant McDonald's in favour of the fried chicken brand.

  • SPN acquires rights to broadcast Cricket Australia’s Bushfire Cricket Bash

    SPN acquires rights to broadcast Cricket Australia’s Bushfire Cricket Bash

    MUMBAI: To raise funds for the victims of the bushfires in Australia, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has acquired the broadcast rights in the Indian subcontinent for Cricket Australia’s Bushfire Cricket Bash, which will be played at Junction Oval, Melbourne on 9 February 2020.

    The Bushfire Cricket Bash is a T10 format match that features two teams, one coached by Indian legend, Sachin Tendulkar and led by Ricky Ponting, and the other coached by current Australia Test captain Tim Paine and led by Adam Gilchrist, said the press release.

    The match will have cricket legends and former players like Brian Lara, Wasim Akram, Courtney Walsh, Yuvraj Singh, Andrew Symonds, Shane Watson, Brad Haddin, Brad Hodge, Brett Lee, Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Dan Christian, Peter Siddle, Fawad Ahmed along with women cricketers like Alex Blackwell, Phoebe Litchfield, Elyse Villani as well as Australian Football League players Luke Hodge and Nick Riewoldt, among others, take the field for this cause.

    The charity match will be a part of The Big Appeal as it will be one of the four cricketing events scheduled between 8 and 9 February 2020. All match profits and funds raised across the weekend’s Big Appeal will go to the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund.

    Sony Pictures Networks India chief revenue officer, distribution and head – sports business Rajesh Kaul said: “We are extremely supportive of Cricket Australia’s initiative, the Bushfire Cricket Bash, a relief effort for the bushfire crisis in Australia and proud to telecast it on our network.”

    “It is truly heartwarming to see legends and some of the biggest names in cricket from all around the world come out of retirement in aid of those affected. Sports has always brought people together and the love for cricket will transcend boundaries with some of the biggest rivals standing arm in arm to assist the affected communities,” he added.

    Cricket Australia chief executive officer Kevin Roberts said, “We are absolutely honoured to be welcoming Sachin and Courtney back to Australia where they both enjoyed a lot of success as players, and we can’t wait to have them involved in what is going to be a special day.”

    Roberts further said, “Both in the ICC Hall of Fame, Sachin is the greatest run-scorer of all time in international cricket, and we all remember what Courtney could do with the ball, taking more than 500 Test wickets. We’re looking forward to our people at CA and the entire Australian cricket family coming together for The Big Appeal.”

    The Bushfire Cricket Bash will be Cricket Australia’s major fundraising initiative to support Australians impacted by the recent unprecedented bushfire emergency. 

  • BCCI strengthens IPL ACU, appoints Ajit Singh as head

    BCCI strengthens IPL ACU, appoints Ajit Singh as head

    MUMBAI: In a bid to further beef up anti-corruption initiatives during IPL, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appointed retired top cop Ajit Singh as head of its Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU). A 1982 Rajasthan cadre officer, Singh retired as director-general of police, Rajasthan in November 2017.

    Singh will take charge ahead of 2018 season of IPL and will be based out of BCCI headquarters at Cricket Centre, Mumbai. The ACU would look to strengthen its hold on the game to protect its image from getting tarnished further.

    IPL has been rocked by controversies from time to time, including allegations of match-fixing, spot- fixing and other such non-gentlemanly activities. Two teams, Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings, make a return to IPL’s 2018 edition after a two-year suspension on grounds of irregularities involving individual players and team management.

    IPL apart, the game of cricket was recently rocked by the ball tampering affair in the ongoing Australia-South Africa series where several Aussie players were accused of tampering with the ball in the last test match, throwing not only cricket in general but also cricket Australia into crisis.

    Aussie captain and vice captain Steve Smith and David Warner, respectively, have been banned for 12 months from playing any international cricket, while batsman Cameron Bancroft was suspended for nine months. All three players have apologised and accepted responsibility in an emotional press conferences after being kicked off the tour and returning home last week. BCCI on 28 March 2018 banned Smith and Warner from this year’s IPL.

    Meanwhile, former police commissioner of Delhi Neeraj Kumar has been retained as advisor to ACU of IPL till 31 May 2018.

    Also Read:

    BCCI sweetens the pot for bidders of India rights

    The BCCI India rights conundrum

    Dsport not in the running for BCCI’s media rights

  • “ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 will attract TV audience of 1 billion”: Andrew Robb

    “ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 will attract TV audience of 1 billion”: Andrew Robb

    MUMBAI: The countdown to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 has already begun with fans gearing up to watch the matches either on television or at the stadiums. Buoyant about the event, Australian Minister for Trade and Investment Andrew Robb is of the opinion that it will engage one fifth of the world’s population. Robb said, “India and Australia are both blessed with the love for cricket. The upcoming World Cup will attract a TV audience of one billion!”

     

    Robb was speaking at the ‘Match Australia’ programme, which is part of the ongoing Australia Business Week being held in India. He had great admiration for the ‘God’ of Indian cricket, Sachin Tendulkar, who sadly will be missed at this year’s World Cup. “Tendulkar is not the God of Cricket just in India but also Australia,” he added.

     

    Post his revelations, a panel discussion brainstormed and analysed on the current form of the Indian and Australian cricket teams slated to participate for the World Cup. Joining the panel were cricket expert and commentator Harsha Bhogle, former cricketer and current Cricket Australia board member Michael Kasprowicz and former Indian batsman Sanjay Manjrekar. The session was moderated by sports columnist Ayaz Memon.

     

    Posing a question to Kasprowicz, Memon said, “Michael Clarke, who is recovering from a series of hamstring injuries, will be leading the Australian squad. From a fitness point of view, is it a wise decision?” In his reply, Kasprowicz said, “While that could be a concern, one needs to look at it at an overall point of view. It is a great, experienced and in my opinion a very balanced squad.” Manjrekar interjected saying that he found the overall game scenario in Australia changing, from a team that was earlier precise in decision making to today not being able to take a concrete call as in Clarke’s case. Kasprowicz didn’t differ with him as he agreed that the current scenario in Australian cricket was changing but only a bit, not more.

     

    Memon with his insights of the game took to another parallel of the game by asking, “With Dhoni announcing his retirement from test cricket, is the state of mind of the current squad going to be crucial? Will the decision and the World Cup redefine the role for MS Dhoni ahead?” Manjrekar was all praise for ‘captain cool’ by speaking about his prowess for the game. He found Dhoni to possess a unique character wherein he, with his decision-making and on-field abilities, was able to make up for half of the overall team. “Dhoni is not someone who is concerned about the history of the game. In fact he will not be able to name even five captains of the Indian cricket teams from the past, if questioned.” Not stopping there, he went on to mouth his own version of the famous ‘Mere Paas Ma Hai’ dialogue from Bollywood movie ‘Deewaar’ by looking at Kasprowicz teasingly and saying, “If you guys have Steve Smith and Mitchell Johnson, we have Mahendra Singh Dhoni.” While the audience cackled, Kasprowicz, not surprisingly, was unable to comprehend the humour.

     

    Memon then quizzed Bhogle about his biggest concern with regards to India’s squad for the upcoming event. The expert lamented, “India’s bowling skills are weakening a bit. If the bowling skills improve, we will have a great game. You don’t need to take many wickets but just bowl well.”

     

    The panel then moved to discussing whether India’s celebrity cricketer Virat Kohli could become the biggest pivot at the World Cup this year? Manjrekar said it was a treat to watch both Kohli and Steven Smith bat at the last India versus Australia test series. “Kohli will be a great contributor at the World Cup after Dhoni,” he expressed.

     

    The statement led to Memon asking the panel if India’s squad had the right balance of experienced as well as young players? Bhogle was the first to reply, saying, “With Tendulkar and most of the well known bowlers from the previous squad now gone, it looks very much younger but I know from the talent that was available to us, the best were picked.” Manjrekar added that one important feature of the World Cup was holding up one’s nerves even during the most testing times. He therefore was of the opinion that India’s squad had a balanced mix of young players as well as those who were not only experienced but also temperamentally strong.

     

    While the panel picked up their home teams as favourites to win for the World Cup, Kasprowicz concluded by saying, “I wish to see the finals being played between India and Australia at a packed Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) stadium with both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Tony Abbot in attendance.”

     

    Prior to the discussion Bhogle was honored with the ‘Friends of Australia’ award for his contribution to the game and helping foster better relations between the two countries. As part of the ‘Match Australia Programme,’ the gentlemen’s game will be used as an opportunity for investors to visit Australia, enjoy the game and also help boost commerce with a three day weekend programme. As part of the initiative, businessmen can attend investment roundtables on Fridays, followed by sight-seeing tours on Saturdays and by watching cricket matches at the stadium on Sundays.

     

  • BCCI, ECB and CA on course to play ball for ICC

    BCCI, ECB and CA on course to play ball for ICC

    MUMBAI: A change is gonna come, wrote one of the most revered R&B artists, Sam Cooke, in 1963.

     

    Possibly singing the same tune today is the triumvirate of India, Australia and England, what with reports of the ‘Position Paper’ – which gives decision making powers to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Cricket Australia (CA), and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) – soon coming into effect. Buzz is the trio may well be on its way to securing the necessary votes for revamping the global cricket governing body, ICC, even as other member nations lose their grip on the situation.

     

    “Around July last year, I encouraged CA, ECB and the BCCI to work together and develop conditions to which all the member countries can come to terms with,” ICC president Alan Isaac said in a recent press conference. “We have currently drawn up the principles but the detailing needs to be done after conducting discussions. The idea was to get the three of the biggest and strongest boards together in one room and come up with a strong plan of action.”

     

    At the same press conference, ICC CEO Dave Richardson added: “There were numerous negotiations going on with all the member countries, but at the end of the negotiations, we saw that there were only these three nations that had those sticky points which we were looking out for.”

     

    Neither of the other boards has released an official statement but top officials on the executive board of ICC have gone on record in approving the proposed changes that give the trio complete freedom in the way cricket will be played 2015 onward as well as revenue shared in accordance to the brand value a test-playing nation is worth.

     

    Among the first ones to point out detrimental flaws in the BCCI-drafted ‘Position Paper’ were the cricket boards of South Africa, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Thereafter, the trio tweaked a few clauses to get other member boards to agree to the terms with West Indies, New Zealand and minnows Bangladesh having already given the go-ahead. The biggest hurdle the trio faces is that for the ‘Position Paper’ to come into effect, they need eight out of the 10 member nations to give their nod. Apparently, they are just one vote away from the three-fourths majority required to push the proposal through. And the financially crippled Pakistan cricket board is likely to be the one to bite the bullet. Not only has the country been struggling to maintain cricketing ties, given the prevailing political conditions, it hasn’t been able to host an international match since early 2009. This may be just the opportunity for the nation to have bilateral series under long-term contracts with the trio.

     

    That said, the proposal put forth in the ‘Position Paper’ appears fundamentally flawed as it assumes members have a proprietary interest in the money their respective economies generate for ICC events.

     

    Fact is broadcasters buy cricket rights because it appeals to their customers, drives subscriptions and advertising revenues. Similarly, sponsors use cricket to promote their products and services.

     

    While values are generally greater when the broadcasting country is playing, not all of it can be attributed to the country’s cricket board. The opposition too has a great bearing on the value cricketing boards receive for their media rights.

     

    Indian broadcasters would prefer broadcasting ICC events and Star Sports would stand to earn brownie points, having acquired the broadcast rights for Indian cricket for a price of Rs 3,851 crore, which covers over 96 matches between 2012-2018 including internet and mobile rights.

     

    That BCCI generates nearly 80 per cent of the world’s cricket earnings is a given. The only way most other boards can maintain a reasonably plump bottom line is from the massive broadcast rights acquired from a tour by India. Not surprisingly, weaker boards such as West Indies and Bangladesh would jump at the opportunity where they are guaranteed no relegation from test cricket plus the possibility of India touring more frequently to help generate revenue.

     

    So, it’s just a matter of time before the trio start officially throwing around their weight in terms of decisions regarding the scheduling of bilateral ties, especially involving either of the three.

  • Cricket Australia looks to drive with Toyota sponsorship

    MUMBAI: Cricket Australia has got Toyota Australia on board as a new gold sponsor and official automotive partner.

    The deal comes close on the heels of Vodafone ending its 11-year association with Australian cricket team.

    Under the new five-year deal, Toyota will support the Australian cricket team, State Cricket Associations and the KFC T20 Big Bash League until mid-2017.

    Toyota will supply more than 100 vehicles, including the all-new Camry Hybrid, to many of Cricket Australia’s coaches and administrators.

    The partnership extends Toyota’s official presence in Australian sport beyond its highly successful involvement with the major football codes.

    Cricket Australia‘s Executive General Manager – Commercial Mike McKenna said, “Australian cricket is thrilled to partner with Toyota, an Australian manufacturer and a business with a strong track record of support for Australian sport. Australian cricket is proud to support Toyota’s environmental goals and initially half our State Association and Cricket Australia fleet will be Toyota hybrid vehicles. We will work with Toyota on opportunities to realise an all-hybrid fleet in the coming years.”

    Toyota’s executive director sales and marketing Matthew Callachor said the company was keen to widen its sponsorship portfolio by forming a progressive association with one of Australia’s most popular sports.

    “Cricket is one of the most played and watched sports in Australia and we are looking forward to another long-term and successful partnership,” he said.

    Callachor said the skills, commitment and passion of the Australian cricket team were attributes shared by Toyota and its 4,200 employees in Australia.