Cricket Australia refuses to run ad telling fans 'alcohol, sport don't mix'

Cricket Australia has refused to run an advertisement telling fans that alcohol and sports do not mix, on the grounds that it could impact other partners of the game.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Healthway, the major sponsor of the Western Australian Cricket Association, was offered advertising along with all the other major state team sponsors at the Ryobi Cup one-day competition.

A source from the McCusker Centre for Alcohol and Youth said that this was appalling censorship by Cricket Australia, adding that their priorities were clear and they were keen to protect their alcohol sponsors from messages that might offend them, but do nothing to stop alcohol promotion that might offend health-promoting sponsors.

The Healthway deal is worth 2.1 million dollars over three years.

A spokesman for Cricket Australia said its decision to not accept the ad was not because it would detract from other sponsors, but because it conflicted with their continuing position on the relationship between alcohol and sport, which is one of consumption in moderation.