AdNews.com.au reports Aussie cricket sponsors like the country’s national carrier Qantas, beer brewer XXXX Gold, health and wellbeing company Sanitarium and Toyota have expressed “disappointment”. Along with Supersavers they have contacted the sports administrators in Australia asking for an explanation of the “shocking” behaviour by the Australian cricket team in the third test of the South African tour”.
Australian captain Steven Smith and batsman Cameron Bancroft admitted to cheating by orchestrating a ball tampering plot using a piece of sticky tape that Bancroft tried to conceal when caught on the big screen in the stadium. Smith was stripped of his captaincy and banned for the final match of the series while Cricket Australia launches an investigation.
The news has drawn screams of outrage across social media, in talk show TV studios and from the global cricket fraternity, with Australian ex-players shocked by the scandal. Across the nation, newspaper front pages have slammed the Australian cricket team actions as “shameful” and a “disgrace”.
Even Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and the taxpayer funded Australian Sports Commission has chimed in. AdNews.com.au approached several of Cricket Australia’s sponsors to gauge a response from the brands backing Australia’s national sport.
A spokesperson from International partner Qantas said the team’s actions are “deeply disappointing and certainly not what anyone expects from our national cricket team. We are in discussions with Cricket Australia as this issue unfolds.”
Cricket’s new beer backer Lion, the owner of XXXX Gold, added: “Like the rest of Australia we are deeply concerned, this is not what you would expect from anyone in sport at any level.”
Sanitarium, which has a close relationship with brand ambassador Smith, described the fiasco as a “a very sad moment for Australian sport… Cricket Australia updated us on this issue as the story broke yesterday and we’re continuing to follow this issue closely,” a spokesperson said.
“Regarding our relationship with Steve Smith, we will assess our response once the management team of Cricket Australia has finalised its investigations. Certainly its under review as the actions taken by the team in South Africa don’t align with our values – Sanitarium does not condone cheating in sport.”
Specsavers couldn’t turn a blind eye to its disappointment in the team. “As a partner of Cricket Australia, we were shocked and disappointed to learn of the events involving the Australian Men’s Cricket team in South Africa. It is a very concerning situation and Specsavers in no way condones the behaviour of those involved,” a spokesperson said.
