Dilmah sign cut-price sponsorship

Dilmah Tea have signed a new three-year team sponsorship with Sri Lanka Cricket. The deal was signed on Wednesday and will run from July 2005 to December 2008.

Sri Lanka Cricket had targeted $5 million for the sponsorship deal when the bidding process started, but that was before the government installed an interim committee to run the affairs of the board following allegations of financial mismanagement.

But Dilmah, the leading exporters of quality Ceylon Tea in the island, were the only company to bid for the sponsorship rights, winning with a $2 million offer. Dilmah had paid $3.3 million for the rights when they first started sponsoring the team in 2002.

The lack of interest in Sri Lanka's main sponsorship property, despite the team's fine performance on the field, reflects corporate concerns over the off-field controversies within the cricket board during the past year and the ICC's strict new ambush marketing regulations.

When Dilmah first secured rights in 2002 they were assured exposure in the World Cup and Champions Trophy. But this time their branding could be excluded from both tournaments if the ICC signs up an event sponsor with a rival product.