Australia vice-captain, who was sent home from South Africa by Cricket Australia on Tuesday, suffered yet another setback after one of his sponsors, LG Electronics, decided not to renew his contract, Sydney Morning Herald reported. CA chief James Sutherland announced that the 31-year-old, along with skipper Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft, would not take part in the fourth Test at Johannesburg and face sanctions.
The ball-tampering scandal that came to light in the third Test between South Africa and Australia at Cape Town caused a national outrage in Australia. Many of the cricket-loving fans have called for heads to roll in the Australian camp.
“LG’s current sponsorship of David Warner is in the final weeks, and in light of recent events we have decided not to renew our partnership,” the company said in a statement. “LG Australia will always look to work with ambassadors that share our core brand values and we take these relationships incredibly seriously to ensure we put our customers, employees and stakeholders first,”
Warner is also supported by cricket bat-maker and cricket apparel company Gray-Nicholls, and Asics, who manufacture running shoes and activewear.
The crisis couldn’t have come at a worse time for the governing body in Australia, which is renegotiating a lucrative TV deal, with the existing Aus$600 million (Rs 3000 crore) five-year agreement expiring at the end of the year. Qantas, whose logo is on the team shirts, said that the saga was “deeply disappointing”.
Commonwealth Bank, which sponsors the national women’s team, demanded a full explanation on events that unfolded in Cape Town. The team’s biggest sponsors, Magellan, said: “We’re deeply concerned about it, it involves cheating, in no way would we condone it in what we do.”