Indiantelevision.com Team

(12 February 2008 8:00 pm)

MUMBAI:The International Cricket Council today announced that Emirates, the Dubai-based international airline, has become an Official Partner of the ICC for the next eight years.

This deal takes in all ICC events until 2015, including two ICC Cricket World Cups, the ICC Champions Trophy, ICC World Twenty20, ICC Women's World Cup and U/19 Cricket World Cup.

The fact that cricket can attract a sponsor of the calibre of Emirates is a sign of how strong the sport is, says ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed.

Emirates has been a long-time partner of the ICC through its sponsorship of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires and Match Referees as well as the Emirates International Panel of ICC Umpires.

This new deal is an extension and expansion of that partnership.

Maurice Flanagan, Executive Vice Chairman, Emirates Airline & Group, said: "We have been involved as a sponsor of cricket for many years particularly through our support of the Emirates Elite Panels of ICC Umpires and Match Referees, and our partnership with Cricket Australia. We felt that the time was right to expand our partnership with the ICC.

"Sport is a perfect way to communicate with our passengers and cricket has an incredible global following both through the media and the enthusiastic fans at the matches. We look forward to strengthening our association with the game, the other Commercial partners and with the ICC."

ICC Chief Executive Malcolm Speed said: "We have already established an excellent relationship with Emirates through its sponsorship of the Emirates Elite and International Panels of ICC Umpires and Match Referees.

"Given that relationship, we are delighted to extend it further, with Emirates becoming an ICC Official Partner up to 2015.

"We are now based in Dubai, the ICC Global Cricket Academy is set to open this year and Dubai is a hub for teams travelling around the world. These facts make this new agreement especially appropriate.

"The ability of the ICC to attract an Official Partner of the calibre of Emirates is evidence of the strength of the game of cricket and the quality and variety of our events going through to 2015.

"These events include two ICC Cricket World Cups, ICC Champions Trophy tournaments and ICC World Twenty20 tournaments and the partnership will help ensure our strong sport will get even stronger in the years to come."

Through the partnership with the ICC, Emirates will continue its successful sponsorship of the Emirates Elite and International Panels of match officials with the Fly Emirates logo continuing to be displayed on the umpires' clothing.

Emirates is a long-time supporter of various sports around the world through an extensive sponsorship campaign. In addition to its partnership with the ICC, it is the official airline of Cricket Australia.

Emirates flies non-stop to six continents from its home base in Dubai making sure cricket fans and players can get where they want to go.

On 30 March another great cricketing location, Cape Town, will be added to the airline's rapidly expanding network of over 90 destinations in more than 60 countries.