MUMBAI: Cricket Australia (CA) has lost its battle to retain a long-term corporate backer as a team sponsor for the World Cup.

Despite CA's drawn-out fight to keep Travelex, who has supported the squad on overseas tours since 2001, the ICC decided the company was in conflict with the World Cup partners Visa and Scotia Bank.

The ICC’s Disputes Resolution Committee ruled in favour of the game’s governing body in the sponsorship dispute.
The Committee, made up of the Honourable Michael Beloff QC (chairman), the Honourable Justice Albie Sachs and Oliver Stocken, was appointed to resolve the earlier mentioned issue concerning the forthcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2007.

The event sponsors Visa and Scotia Bank had been appointed by the ICC’s media rights partner, the Global Cricket Corporation (GCC) which is owned by News International Limited, and had been notified to all teams in June 2006.

Cricket Australia had asked for the matter to be referred to the Disputes Resolution Committee, which carefully considered all the contracts and correspondence. It found that the ICC’s refusal to approve TPL in order to protect the interests of GCC and/or the official event sponsors was correct in all the circumstances.

The Australian cricket team will now use Emirates Airlines as their team sponsor for next month's World Cup

ICC CEO Malcolm Speed said, “The ICC is extremely pleased that this matter has been resolved ahead of the forthcoming ICC Cricket World Cup.

“The decision of the Disputes Resolution Committee creates an important precedent for future ICC events and, going forward, it will ensure that the position is clear for all stakeholders."

CA CEO James Sutherland says, "We are disappointed that the ICC committee ruled against us. We believe we put forward a very strong case but, unfortunately, the committee decided otherwise."