Be There: Like Cable & Wireless - Across The Board

'Are you there?', the joint promotional initiative by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and Cable & Wireless for this year's Cable and Wireless 2000 Series, has really taken off among Windies cricket fans.

Whether it's the infectious theme song by Barbadian performer Alison Hinds or the smart advertising campaign enticing one and all to come to cricket, or the souvenir caps and T-shirts bearing this catch phrase, all people want to know is: 'Are You There''

Certainly, there have been several occasions for lovers of the Caribbean's premier sport to ask this question since the first ball of the region's international cricket calendar was bowled in early March: the West Indies' fightback victory over Zimbabwe in Trinidad; captain Jimmy Adams' first Test century on his home ground; the record West Indies, eighth-wicket stand between Adams and Franklyn Rose at Sabina Park and, of course, Courtney Walsh's unprecedented 435th Test scalp.

Since 1986, there have been countless of these unforgettable moments in West Indies cricket and the telecommunications giant, Cable & Wireless, can certainly say it has been there.

Now celebrating 15 years of unstinting sponsorship of cricket in the Caribbean, this company has been a tower of support, especially financially, for the game in these islands.

Its current six-year contract, which was renewed in 1996 and concludes next year, translates into an annual sponsorship fee of US$2.1 million that benefits West Indies cricket and cricketers. Each year, the finance provided by Cable & Wireless not only pays player fees and prize money, but it also contributes to the funds needed for training and development at all levels of cricket in the region.

Additionally, the WICB and the conglomerate spend sizeable amounts of monies advertising the series regionally and internationally and fostering interaction between players and fans.

The latter occurs through various initiatives: by getting players to share free gifts - including T-shirts, caps and balls - among the crowds; by hosting autograph sessions by cricketers in various territories and even by providing free match tickets to children and particular organisations.

This partnership with the WICB is Cable and Wireless' biggest single sponsorship deal in the Caribbean and the agreement makes it not only the title sponsor but also the exclusive official sponsor of all West Indies home series and the West Indies team.

'We have been sponsoring the West Indies team for 15 years now and we are very proud to do so. It's a regional institution; one of the few in the Caribbean and as a truly Caribbean company we feel that it's a natural alliance,' said Sonny Peart, Cable & Wireless' marketing communications manager

He explained that Cable & Wireless' desire was to make 'a trip to cricket more than just about going to watch a game but about being an experience'.

'Our objective is to make people in the crowd realise they have actually taken part in something rather than just turned up and, hopefully, they see that's something which has been provided with the help of Cable and Wireless.'

Thus the positives of the WICB's relationship with this multi-national corporation are two-fold - its myriad promotions generate much excitement and goodwill and its sponsorship continues to be a vital source of financial oxygen for the game's operations.

Other main areas of revenue - such as ticket sales, television rights and merchandising - are fluid, but Cable & Wireless' sponsorship has been a surety for the past 15 years which has allowed the WICB the luxury of planning ahead with confidence.

As the board looks to the future and negotiations for a new contract, the hope is that Cable & Wireless and other business entities will continue to recognise the importance of sponsorship in West Indies cricket.

There is much hard work ahead and much to be done if West Indies cricket is to regain its once envied status as the cream of the world's cricketing crop and it will require significant capital.

Cable & Wireless' valued association with the West Indies Cricket Board and its sterling contribution to regional cricket are highly commendable; through thick and thin, through wins and losses, it has been there. We can only hope others will be motivated, by this example, to assist West Indies cricket in whatever way they can, so that next time the question is asked: 'Are You There'' the answer will be a resounding: 'Yes, I Am Here.'