ICC set to fly high with Emirates deal

Dubai: Emirates, the Dubai based international airline, signed a sponsorship deal as an official partner of International Cricket Council (ICC) until 2015.

Maurice Flanagan, the Executive Vice-Chairman of the Emirates airline and Group, after signing the deal with Malcolm Speed, the ICC Chief Executive, said: "We have been sponsoring cricket for many years by providing support to the Emirates Elite Panel of umpires and match referees and also through our partnership with Cricket Australia. We now decided to expand our partnership with the ICC by becoming their official partner for the next eight years."

Speed, welcoming the deal, said: "We have already established an excellent relationship with Emirates through its sponsorship of our match officials. Given that relationship, we are delighted to extend it further as our official partner till 2015."

As an official partner of the ICC, Emirates will have rights to all major ICC tournaments including the 2011 World Cup to be hosted jointly by India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as well as the 2015 World Cup to be staged jointly by Australia and New Zealand.

Tough job

"They will also have rights over the Champions Trophy to be played in Pakistan this year. The ICC World Twenty20 Championship to be held in England next year, the ICC Women's World Cup" added Speed.

"We could not have asked for a better partner. Over the last six years Emirates has transported our officials around the world ensuring they always arrived on time for the events to undertake one of the toughest officiating tasks in world sport. As you all know being an international umpire is a serious and tough job these days," said Speed, who also recalled how ICC shifted its headquarters to Dubai.

"It was Maurice who first suggested to me that ICC should come to Dubai way back in 2000 during a dinner at his home. Maurice made this suggestion at a time when ICC was based in London since 1909.

"The fact the ICC is based in Dubai and that the ICC Global Cricket Academy is set to open this year in Dubai Sports City, Dubai will become the hub of teams travelling around the world. Hence this deal become even more special."

When asked why he opted for cricket, Flanagan said: "Cricket has marvellous coverage around the world all seven days a week and that will provide us tremendous exposure."

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