Westpac, one of Australia’s big four banks, has signed as Cricket Australia’s principal partner, backing both the men’s and women’s national teams in a four-year deal.
The agreement sees Westpac replace long-time sponsor and direct rival, Commonwealth Bank, ending a 37-year partnership that had become one of the most enduring in Australian sport.
As part of the deal, Westpac’s logo will feature prominently on the playing shirts of Australia’s men’s and women’s teams for all home matches. This includes Test, One-Day and T20 formats, as well as Australia A and under-19 squads.
The bank also becomes an official partner of the men’s and women’s Big Bash leagues, and will support grassroots initiatives, inclusive cricket programs and pathways for First Nations talent.
Anthony Miller, CEO of Westpac, said the partnership helps to reflect Westpac’s heritage.
He said: “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.”
The partnership aims to accelerate opportunities for women in cricket, both on and off the field, while supporting local clubs and communities. It also builds on efforts to make the sport more inclusive and accessible to all.
As presenting partner of the National Community Awards, Westpac seeks to support local clubs and communities by recognising everyday Australians who contribute to the game.
Westpac said it will support initiatives to create more opportunities for women to engage with cricket on the field, in the stands and in leadership roles. The bank will also back programmes aimed at developing more female coaches, managers and executives within the sport.
It will also serve as presenting partner of the National Cricket Inclusion Championships and any international disability series held in Australia, as part of its push to make the sport more inclusive.
Through this expanded role, the bank will support programs that create opportunities for players who are blind or have low vision, are deaf or hard of hearing, or have intellectual disabilities.
In addition, Westpac will become the presenting partner of the National Indigenous Cricket Championships and Indigenous international matches.
Miller added: “As the first sponsor to feature simultaneously on both the men’s and women’s team shirts here at home, we look forward to investing in Australian cricket across all forms of the game, beginning with next month’s games against South Africa, followed by both India teams and this summer’s highly anticipated Ashes series.”