Windies fear fallout

Skerritt (left) and Lara (right)

BRISBANE, CANA:

WEST Indies' cricket officials are worried sponsors will shy away from their side if their woeful losing streak continues.

With the tourists heading for another likely defeat in the second Test in Perth starting on Friday, team manager Ricky Skerritt said he is concerned their disastrous form could drive sponsors away.

"We don't have any hammer hanging over our heads in the short term, but if the team was to continue this margin of loss without showing growth, it could have some impact on our sponsorship," Skerritt said here yesterday.

"Most of the money goes to the players, so the players stand to lose as much as anybody else," Skerritt added.

The Caribbean tourists were humiliated by an innings and 126 runs in two and a half days in the first Brisbane Test by the Australians, who are chasing an historic 12th consecutive Test victory this week.

The West Indies have plummeted from cricket's pinnacle, but are still drawing crowds, with almost 50,000 at the Gabba over the three days.

Four days before the Perth Test, WACA officials say almost 80 per cent of corporate boxes are sold out, with a crowd of between 16,000 and 20,000 expected on the first day.

Skerritt said the Windies can't keep riding the wave of popularity of stars, Brian Lara and Courtney Walsh, without sponsors asking questions.

"We haven't had any approaches, but the reality is this team has to do better than it's doing," Skerritt said.

"It's been strange that even with our losses we have continued to ride the wave of the legacy of West Indies cricket and the fact that we have Brian Lara and Courtney Walsh in the team continues to have a certain aura to it.

"However, we have to show that West Indies cricket is on a recovery path and if not, sponsors are going to ask questions," he said.

Fast food outlet KFC - owned by multi-national company Collins Foods International - has sponsored the Windies on their last two tours of Australia.

Global communication giant Cable and Wireless has sponsored the team at home for almost 20 years, but is in the midst of a world-wide shake-up.

The Windies have no world-wide sponsors and could struggle with local free-to-air television refusing to show the first sessions of the Australia Tests live because of lack of commercial interest.

Collins Foods Group marketing director Pam Martin said KFC was not committed to a long-term sponsorship, but was content to ride the team's popularity in Australia this summer.

"We don't see it as having any negative impact and there have been no discussions to have a long term commitment," she said yesterday.

"People still love watching the West Indies play cricket even though they're not performing and it gives us the opportunity for high brand visibility."

She said there was "absolutely no chance" of dumping sponsorship mid-tour.

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