Cricket body accused of censorship over ads

Oct. 15, 2013, 3 a.m.

Cricket Australia has refused to run an advertisement telling fans that ''alcohol and sport don't mix'' on the grounds it thinks they mix perfectly well.

Healthway, the main sponsor of the Western Australian Cricket Association, was offered advertising along with all the other big state team sponsors at the Ryobi Cup, now under way in Sydney.

But the group was told its advertisement was not appropriate as it could affect "other partners" in the game, said Mike Daube, from the McCusker Centre for Alcohol and Youth. "This is appalling censorship by Cricket Australia," Professor Daube said.

Its alternative says "Under 18. No Alcohol. The Safest Choice", but Professor Daube said health groups were frustrated that even a mild message trying to remove the link between alcohol and sport would be rejected.

"Their priorities are clear. They are keen to protect their alcohol sponsors from messages that might offend them but do nothing to stop alcohol promotion that might offend health-promoting sponsors," he said.

The war to control the messages sent by sporting stars will be

prominent next week when the XXXX GOLD Queensland Bulls face off against the Alcohol. Think Again Western Warriors.

A sponsorship deal between Carlton & United Breweries and Cricket Australia is thought to be worth $65 million over five years. The Healthway deal is worth $2.1 million over three years.

The dean of the Victoria University college of sport and exercise science, Hans Westerbeek, said alcohol sponsorship was now as important to sport "as tobacco sponsorship was 20 or 30 years ago".

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Cricket body accused of censorship over ads