BANGALORE: Have you watched the shirts being sported by players of various national teams in the ongoing ICC cricket World Cup? There is a huge difference to the ones they normally wear during a bilateral series, Tests or ODIs. The commercial logos of shirt sponsors are missing. The International Cricket Council has eventually given some respect to the team colours.
This revelation came from Colin Gibson, the ICC’s Head of Media and Communications, in response to a query on advertising on national colours of cricket teams.
“Teams don’t wear adverts on the front of their shirts in the ICC Cricket World Cup but are allowed small discreet adverts on one sleeve,” Colin wrote in an e-mail reply to TNIE.
The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), governing body for soccer in the World, does not allow advertising of any kind on national team colours in any international competition, including the FIFA World Cup.
After all, a national colour represents the nation, just as a flag does. And no one will ever permit a logo being fixed on the national flag. Similarly, the national colour also represents the country and has some sacredness about it. It must be respected. Asked why the ICC allows this in other international matches between two nations, Colin said that unlike soccer, cricket depends heavily on kit sponsors.
“During a Test and ODI series, it is a matter for the individual Boards. Unlike football, cricket depends heavily on the support of sponsors – particularly kit sponsors. I suspect if you ask individual boards they would say that if they were forced to lose kit sponsors they would find replacing that income extremely difficult. I think no one wants to see the sport financially disadvantaged,” Colin added.