By IANS
New Delhi : Brett Lee stares at you from the hoarding and tells you the time; Ricky Ponting stands up for an engine oil’s reliability while Adam Gilchrist has in the past told Indians why they should buy a certain washing machine or refrigerator. Add to them, Michael Clarke, recently signed up by an Indian event management company.
Now the same cricketers have alleged that an Indian player, Harbhajan Singh, has racially abused one of the Australian players, Andrew Symonds.
As Indo-Australian cricketing relations touch an all-time low, the fact is many members of the Ponting-led Australian team, ironically, earn fat purses from Indian business houses.
With public mood and sentiment so highly charged against the Australians, it remains to be seen how effective Indian marketing managers find Australian Brand Ambassadors – as companies generally call them at the time of signing up.
It is well known that many companies often prefer foreign stars because they cost less than the Indian superstars. International cricketers often earn far more from endorsing Indian products and companies than what they would in their own countries.
But now the same companies might start thinking ‘less costs more’ in light of the latest controversy.
Also, players like Ponting and Gilchrist have arrangements with some TV channels, too, for ‘exclusive’ chats. This, of course, is on the line of many top players writing syndicated columns for Indian newspapers and magazines.
In the past too, many players including former Australia captain Steve Waugh have endorsed Indian products.
Another irony is that in April, many top-rated Australians – including retired speedster Glenn McGrath and leg-spinner Shane Warne – signed up to play the Indian Premier League (IPL), promoted by the Board of Control for Cricket India (BCCI).
The Indian board, which was planning to use the top Australians in their promotions for IPL, is now protesting against the charges levelled against an Indian. It is also being said that the board is even mulling over the very future course of this ongoing Tour.
It will be interesting to see how the passionate but often fickle Indian cricket fans will relate to the products endorsed by Australians after this controversy. Sub-standard umpiring cost India the second Test. And allegations of racial slur have put a black mark against Harbhajan Singh, who is being backed by the entire Indian team, establishment and public in the fight against these charges.
Among other international stars, who have endorsed Indian products in the past or are still signed up with Indian management companies, are former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming (televisions/hard drinks), Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan (signed by Showdiff Worldwide), West Indies’ Brian Lara (tyres), Andrew Flintoff (mineral water), Shoaib Akhtar (glass) and West Indies’ Carl Hooper (colas).
Whatever happens in the Harbhajan episode, it will be reasonably safe to assume that marketing managers of Indian companies will surely pause for a moment before signing up more Australians, at least till the current issue dies down.