Fawad Ahmed's refusal to wear VB-marked team kit 'priceless PR' for company

Cricket Australia's (CA) beer brand sponsors VB has reportedly been handed a 'priceless marketing coup' with the refusal of Pakistani origin Australian leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed to wear any uniform bearing the logo of VB.

According to News.com.au, the Muslim player's refusal to wear a team shirt bearing VB's logo has made headlines around the world, giving VB owners Carlton and United Breweries prominent mainstream media exposure that it could not ordinarily purchase.

The report said that the public image of Carlton and United Breweries (CUB) could have suffered had it forced CA to reject Ahmed's request even though it paid more than ten million dollars to feature on the national cricket kit, adding that CA would also have appeared in a bad light had they opposed Ahmed's request.

However, an expert said that the company instead got 'priceless positive PR' with the way they handled the situation which was not engineered by them, with the report adding that every time Ahmed appears on a TV for Australia, the distinct lack of VB's logo on his shirt will prompt numerous discussions, which no ad campaign could have generated.Praising the decision to allow Ahmed to wear a blank uniform, Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) chief executive Paul Marsh also said that ironically, CUB has got more publicity for Ahmed not wearing the logo than they would have if he had worn it.

Ahmed, who had his Australian citizenship fast-tracked in July in order to be named for the national team, spoke earlier this year of his aversion to advertising alcohol on playing kits, the report added.