Frenzy erupts over detail on Australian Test kit for Ashes series
A frenzy has erupted over the new-look kit Australian players are sporting during the first Ashes Test in Perth.
For the first time in a Test series, the traditional Aussie white shirt has been plastered over with a large Westpac logo.
Cricket fans were unable to overlook the bright red emblem as Steve Smith led his troops out into the middle of Perth Stadium.
It is far from the first time the traditional Aussie whites have had Cricket Australia’s major corporate sponsor spread across players’ torsos and the investment from sponsors is critical for the sport.
However, that hasn’t stopped some viewers expressing their dislike of the new look kit.
Many have lamented the gradual changes made to Test cricket shirts worn all over the world with numbers, sponsors players names now also a regular feature.
One cricket viewer posted on X: “Early prediction: The English batsmen are gonna complain that the giant red Westpac logo on the Australian bowlers shirts, is too distracting. And they won’t be able to see the ball”.
Another posted: “The big red Westpac W really ruins the @CricketAus whites kit. Still not a fan of the numbers & names either”.
Aussie cricket legend Damien Martyn has previously publicly criticised the concept of major sponsors featuring on the prestigious white shirt.
“When has the Test team started to put sponsors logo large on the front? Terrible look in Test cricket. Just my old school opinion though”, Martyn wrote on X in 2023.
Westpac replaced Toyota as the main shirt sponsor for Cricket Australia, following on from Alinta Energy and Toyota.
In July this year, it was announced that Westpac had taken over as Cricket Australia’s principal partner for the men’s and women’s national teams.
Fans got their first glimpse of the new look kit in the white ball series against India, but the Westpac logo was impossible to miss on the cricket whites as the Ashes got underway in Perth.
For many years, a smaller sponsor had appeared on the upper right chest area, but in recent years the front Test cricket playing kit has become prime real estate for advertising.
Westpac CEO Anthony Miller said at the time of the announcement: “We’re excited to step up to the crease and back Australian cricket.
“As the first sponsor to feature simultaneously on both the men’s and women’s team shirts here at home, we look forward to investing in Australian cricket across all forms of the game, beginning with next month’s games against South Africa, followed by both India teams and this summer’s highly anticipated Ashes series.
CA CEO Todd Greenberg said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Westpac as Cricket Australia’s new Principal Partner.”
“This partnership represents a shared commitment to making a positive impact on the field and in the community. We aim to elevate the experience of fans and participants and together grow the game.
“Westpac’s support will directly contribute to initiatives that elevate participation and visibility in our sport and help support our vision of making cricket a sport for all. We couldn’t be more excited about the impact we can achieve together.”
The bank is also a key partner for the NRL, with the large “Red W” featuring on the front of both the NSW and Queensland State of Origin jerseys.
On the eve of the Ashes, Origin Energy also announced a three-year partnership with Cricket Australia that will see the energy retailer’s logo feature on the sleeves of the national men’s and women’s cricket teams.
England’s cricket team is sponsored by Toyota, sportswear manufacturer Castore and Tyrrell’s Wine.
It’s a different look to the the previously pristine plain whites of Test cricket seen in the 20th century.
In 2019, the International Cricket Council introduced player surnames and numbers on the back of shirts in Test cricket as part of a wider plan to promote the sport.
