Cricket Australia has agreed a deal for Australian energy company Alinta Energy to become the principal partner of the country’s men’s national team.
Alinta has signed a four-year deal with Cricket Australia, effective from July 2018. The deal also names Alinta as the principal partner of the MyCricket digital platform. Cricket Australia said the deal would extend from the elite level to grassroots cricket.
Alinta becomes the first long-term principal partner of the men’s cricket team and the company will benefit from brand exposure on the team’s shirts during international fixtures played in Australia. The deal covers all three formats of the sport.
Alinta Energy managing director and chief executive Jeff Dimery said: “This is an exciting moment for Alinta Energy. This partnership reflects our growth into a national energy player and gives us a great opportunity to take our message around more affordable energy further than ever before."
The deal has been signed despite the recent ball-tampering scandal that enveloped Australia's national team back in March, leading to one-year bans being imposed on captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner, and a nine-month suspension for opening batsman Cameron Bancroft.
The incident occurred when Australian fielder Bancroft was seen on television holding a foreign object while rubbing the ball in an apparent effort to scuff it up to assists bowlers in generating reverse swing, before hiding the object in his pocket, then inside his trousers.