Cricket Australia has begun a new sponsorship deal with Westpac, oficially marking the end of its 37-year partnership with Commonwealth Bank.

Westpac has signed on as the principal partner for the men’s and women’s national teams. Its logo will appear front and centre on their shirts for all matches played in Australia. This includes Test, One Day, and T20 formats, as well as Australia A and Under 19s.

It marks the first time a sponsor will feature simultaneously across both the men’s and women’s team shirts.

As the previous banking partner, Commonwealth Bank shifted its support from the men’s game to the women’s a few years ago, as it looked to bolster women’s sports. It is understood the sandpaper cheating scandal in the men’s national Test team was also a factor that led to the bank’s withdrawal, having dropped then-captain Steve Smith as its brand ambassador.

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Commonwealth Bank has since increased its investment in Football Australia, with a six-year deal, starting September 1, that will see it become a major sponsor “at all levels”.

Westpac has also become an official partner of the men’s and women’s Big Bash Leagues. Per the AFR, the deal is believed to be worth $10 million annually over four years.

(L-R): Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Alyssa Healy, Ashleigh Gardner, and Sam Konstas

 “We’re excited to step up to the crease and back Australian cricket,” Anthony Miller, CEO of Westpac, said in a release on Thursday.

“Like Westpac, cricket in Australia has a long and proud history stretching back 200 years. As Australia’s oldest bank, we can’t wait to join forces with one of Australia’s oldest sports and help shape the future of this great game.

“Through this partnership we’ll work with Cricket Australia to grow cricket at all levels, engaging players, fans and club communities around the country,” he said.

Westpac’s partnership, which began on July 1, will support local clubs, inclusion cricket, and First Nations talent through national community awards, disability tournaments, and Indigenous championships and matches.

The bank will also support programs to create more opportunities for players who are blind or have low vision, are deaf or hard of hearing, or people with intellectual disability.

Finally, Westpac will back initiatives to create new opportunities to get women involved with cricket, including the creation of specific programs to support female coaches, manager, and executives in the sport.

“This partnership represents a shared commitment to making a positive impact on the field and in the community,” Cricket Australia’s CEO, Todd Greenberg, said in the release.

“We aim to elevate the experience of fans and participants and together grow the game.”

He said Westpac’s support will “directly contribute” to elevating participation and visibility in the sport.

“We couldn’t be more excited about the impact we can achieve together.”

Westpac is also a major sponsor of rugby league, with a deal worth around $7 million annually. It is the official bank partner of the NRL and NRLW, it sponsors both the NSW and Queensland Rugby Leagues, as well as the Brisbane Hustlers and Sydney Convicts LGBT+ rugby union teams.

It also supported the establishment of the St George Illawarra Dragons NRLW squad, and is a sponsor of Gingercloud’s Modified Rugby program.


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