One for the team?

I came across this news item (Hat-tip from Jagdish at 24x7) - Aussie cricketers, in their bid to force the tv broadcasters into turning off the stump-mikes during the break periods (when the ball is dead), resorted to some prank advertisements, promoting their sponsors.Television executives do not take kindly to free on-air advertising, and it was a clever tactic of Gilchrist to name team sponsors.

He was overhead saying "Get one for the boys at Travelex" or "Phone home on 3 Mobile" during play.

But the most clearly audible plug was heard after Andrew Symonds, nicknamed Roy, fired in a throw.

"That's the one, Roy," Gilchrist enthused.

"Plenty of energy ... from a ... Milo energy bar."

A Cricket Australia spokesman said the players had concerns over the volume of stump mikes.

"It is the second Test in a row that (Australia) team manager Steve Bernard has requested the International Cricket Council match referee to ensure the international protocol of stump mikes are turned down when the ball is dead, and only turned back up when the bowler is at his run-up," he said

Ofcourse, I personally want the offensive aspect of sledging to go away, hence would like to have the stump mics on (wonder why the ICC has regulated the way it has?), but the other aspects of this minor episode were equally interesting. Were the Aussies looking to sledge even Bangladeshi players? What if this was a serious opposition..would they have spent their off-time sledding or mock-promoting?

I think if it happened in India, BCCI would have promptly gone ahead and signed a contract with Aussie sponsors to keep the stump-mics turned up :-)