IPL 2021: Cricket Australia limits use of its players for advertisements during cash-rich tournament

New Delhi: Cricket Australia (CA) doesn’t want its players to feature in advertisements promoting betting, fast food, alcohol and tobacco brands during the next edition of the Indian Premier League. The 14th Indian Premier League is scheduled to start in the second week of April and quite a few Australian cricketers, including big buys Glenn Maxwell and Jhye Richardson, are going to be part of the action. According to cricbuzz.com, in a recent advisory to all the IPL franchises, the BCCI quoted Cricket Australia (CA) as saying, “A full team photo — for use only by the sponsors of the relevant IPL team in print media in India and any such photo should not involve or include the name or branding of a company primarily engaged in the business of alcohol, fast food/fast food restaurants, tobacco or betting.” Among other restrictions, CA said not more than one player from a Big Bash League (BBL) side and a state team should be used in advertising campaigns. The BCCI mail said, “Cricket Australia has imposed the following restrictions on Franchisees’ use of Australian players in advertising and/or promotional materials: In any specific advertising or promotional activity featuring any Australian player (in any medium including TV, radio, press, outdoor, internet, point of sales or on-pack advertising)… “… Each Franchisee may only use: (a) no more than 1 Player who has a Central Contract with Cricket Australia; and/or; (b) no more than 1 Australian Player from the same Australian State; and (c) no more than 1 Australian Player from the same Big Bash team…” As many as 19 Australians — Steven Smith, Maxwell, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Richardson, Rilie Meredith, Ben Cutting, Moises Henriques, Dan Christian, Josh Hazlewood, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins, Chris Lynn, Adam Zampa, Daniel Sams, Kane Richardson, Josh Philippe, Andrew Tye, David Warner and Mitchell Marsh — are set to play in IPL 2021.