Photo Credit: Cricket Australia
Cricket Australia has ended its sponsorship relationship with Commonwealth Bank after 37 years.
According to the Brisbane Times, this was Cricket Australia’s decision, despite Commonwealth Bank being eager to extend the partnership.
The full statement from Cricket Australia is below.
Cricket Australia thanks Commonwealth Bank for their outstanding support of cricket over the past 37 years and looks forward to celebrating the partnership during the upcoming CommBank Women’s Ashes ahead of the sponsorship coming to an end at the end of June 2025.
CA CEO Nick Hockley said Australian Cricket is very proud of its association with CommBank and all that has been achieved through the partnership.
“Cricket has benefitted greatly from CommBank’s involvement in the sport over the past 37 years. Their support in particular of the women’s international teams, kids’ participation, diversity initiatives, our inclusion championships and national teams, and boosting participation among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples has been invaluable.
“We have been very proud of our association with CommBank and thank the CommBank team over the past four decades for the partnership.
“We look forward to continuing the partnership throughout the rest of summer, particularly during the CommBank Women’s Ashes next month.
“When CommBank joined forces with Cricket Australia in 1987, it was a year for the history books.
“Lyn Larsen led the women’s team to victory against England in the Women’s Ashes, and Allan Border captained the men’s team in their first Cricket World Cup victory.
“Cricket has come a long way since then – and we’re incredibly grateful to CommBank for the role they’ve played in driving the game forward.”
Hockley said an announcement about a new major partner for cricket and further news about other new partners and contract extensions would be made in due course.
“This has been a hugely successful summer so far for Australian Cricket with attendances, participation and interest in the game going from strength-to-strength. We will be making several announcements around our partnership portfolio over the few next weeks and months.”
Commonwealth Bank Group Executive of Marketing and Corporate Affairs, Monique Macleod, said CommBank’s commitment to cricket was driven by a desire to help make it an inclusive sport for the country.
“We’re pleased to have helped make that a reality,” she said.
“Watching the women’s game go from strength to strength and seeing so many of our amazing women cricketers inspire young girls to pick up a bat or a ball is something the Bank’s incredibly proud of.”
Highlights of the Bank’s 26 years supporting women’s cricket have included the Australian women’s team’s victory at the 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, when more than 86,000 fans attended at the MCG, and the current women’s team’s number one world ranking.
Since CommBank and Cricket Australia began working together, 37 years ago, highlights have included:
- Sponsoring the men’s Test Series, including the Men’s Ashes in 2013.
- Increasing investment in women’s and diversity initiatives in 2017, including supporting Australia’s national disability teams to get access to the same high-performance support other elite representative cricket teams receive, and enabling Australia’s Indigenous women’s and men’s squads to tour England in 2018 to commemorate the renowned all-Aboriginal team tour of England in 1868.
- Since 2017, this investment has contributed to 22 per cent growth in participation among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, 95 per cent growth in participation among people with a disability, and 48 per cent growth in participation among culturally diverse communities.
- Supporting the Australian Women’s Cricket team in 2020 as they triumphed in front of more than 86,000 fans in the ICC 2020 T20 World Cup Final at the MCG, breaking attendance and viewership records, and driving real progress in the women’s game.
- Running the CommBank Baggy Green Tour of Shane Warne’s iconic cap in 2020 to raise money for local communities hit hardest by bushfires and drought.
- By 2024, CommBank and Cricket Australia, contributing $9m to the Growing Cricket for Girls Fund, benefiting more than 35,000 junior girls’ players and supporting the growth of 1500 new girls’ teams.
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Name of Author: Cricket Australia
Cricket Australia (CA), formerly the Australian Cricket Board (ACB), is the governing body for cricket in Australia. Established in 1905 as the Australian Board of Control for International Cricket, CA manages all national teams, including Men’s, Women’s, and Youth sides, as well as other national teams. It oversees the organization of Test matches, ODIs, and T20Is, and coordinates home international fixtures.
