Emirates
has increased its support of
international cricket by sponsoring the ICC Johnnie Walker Super Series,
which will take place in Australia in October this year. The ICC Super Series promises to be cricket’s biggest ever battle, with
Australia, the dominant team in world cricket for the past decade, taking on
an ICC team of champions made up of the superstars of the game from around
the world.

The teams will go head-to-head in three One Day Internationals at the
Telstra Dome in Melbourne, and one six day Test match at the Sydney Cricket
Ground, with a prize of US$1million - winner takes all - for the victorious
team in the Test. A specially convened ICC panel of selectors recently
announced their picks for the One Day and Test teams, and there will be
delight among cricket fans around the world at the stars who will be on
show.

 

England fans will be watching out for Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmison,
Michael Vaughan and new sensation Kevin Pietersen. After a summer of cricket
against the Australians in the Ashes series, there will be points to prove
against their Aussie foes, whatever the outcome of the rest of the summer
series.

 

While ICC Player of the Year Rahul Dravid, along with Virender Sehwag, Anil
Kumble and the talismanic Sachin Tendulkar make up the Indian contingent,
with Pakistan boasting Shoaib Akhtar, Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Abdul
Razzaq and the heavy hitting Inzamam-Ul-Haq. Sri Lankan is represented by
Muttiah Muralitharan and Kumur Sangakkara, while the West Indies players
include Brian Lara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Chris Gayle.

 

Daniel Vettori and Brendon McCullum make up the Kiwi contingent with South
Africa fielding the most players, including Jacques Kallis, Makhaya Ntini,
Shaun Pollock, Mark Boucher and Herschelle Gibbs and Graeme Smith.

 

Pitted against this awesome array of talent will be the Australians, one of
the greatest cricket teams ever, and, on the global stage, one of the most
dominant sports teams in modern times. With Glenn MacGrath, Shane Warne and
Jason Gillespie leading their bowling attack, and Matthew Hayden, skipper
Ricky Ponting and wicket keeper/batsman Adam Gilchrist at the forefront of
their batting, they will be very hard to beat, particularly on home soil
with a ferociously partisan local crowd behind them. Only the very best can
take them on and win, and the ICC Johnnie Walker Super Series will be their
ultimate challenge.

 

Commenting on the confirmation of Emirates’ Partnership deal with the ICC
Johnnie Walker Super Series Ghaith Al Ghaith, Emirates Executive Vice
President Commercial Operations Worldwide, said: “We are delighted to have
signed up as an official partner of what promises to be one of the most
exciting sporting events of the year. We have demonstrated our support for
top-class cricket for over three years now, through our relationship with
the ICC, and we are excited to have taken this a step further with the Super
Series.”

 

Welcoming the announcement, ICC Chief Executive Malcolm Speed said that
Emirates’ was a long term and valued partner to world cricket: “Emirates
Airline has established an excellent relationship with the ICC and its
member countries in recent years and it is very pleasing to see that
relationship strengthened further by this involvement with the Johnnie
Walker Super Series.

 

“Australia is a long-haul destination for most of the players and officials
involved in the event and I know that the quality and comfort provided by
Emirates international service will be much appreciated in that respect,”
said Mr. Speed.
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