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ricket Australia has announced a three-year partnership with telecommunications giant, Vodafone, who will become the naming rights partner for men’s Test matches in Australia.
The deal will also see Vodafone partner the national women’s team as well as the Rebel Women’s Big Bash League.
Cricket Australia interim chief executive, Nick Hockley, said Vodafone signing back up to a partnership with Cricket Australia “demonstrates how far the sport has come over recent years”, following the 2018 ball-tampering controversy.
“My background is putting together commercial partnerships, and any commercial partnership is built on the alignment of values,” Hockley said.
“I think what we saw through ‘The Test’ (the eight-part documentary that followed the men’s team after the 2018 controversy) is the values that group holds, and how they’re really reflecting the values the public want the Australian cricket team to display.
“We got a real sense from the inside of what everyone stands for.
“All the way through – from the coach, the captain, the staff and the entire playing squad – they have really restored the faith, restored the trust, and this partnership with Vodafone is just another great reflection of that.
“Vodafone has a long history with cricket and it’s great to reconnect with them.
“They are very knowledgeable and know their sport.
“Businesses have been doing it tough, but what’s been incredible, and overwhelming, is the strength of support and loyalty that our partners have shown us.
“They’re with us through thick and thin,” he said.
Speaking of the upcoming summer of cricket, Hockley said he is confident the full schedule will be delivered despite the COVID-19 pandemic, saying Cricket Australia is also trying to finalise schedules for domestic competitions depending on state border protocols.
“There’s a huge amount of work going on and we’re increasingly optimistic of delivering a full summer of cricket,” Hockley said.
“It’s the complexity of the logistics, and it’s also making sure that we’re managing the risks.
“That can’t be under-estimated.
“Obviously, we’ve got to put the safety and the wellbeing of everyone involved first.
“We have also got the added complexity of bringing people from overseas and the inevitable quarantine arrangements that are required to bring people in safely.
“We’re well advanced in working through all those details.
“Where we’ve been fortunate, is we’ve been able to learn from the winter (football) codes, so there are some well-established protocols emerging.
“The team at Cricket Australia are working around the clock behind the scenes to make sure that’s delivered to a level that we can feel confident we’re keeping everyone safe,” he said.
