Being a craze in Pakistan, cricket has contributed richly to elevate ordinary cricketers to the status of celebrities promoting them to earn a decent living through TV advertisements and other activities off the field. It all started with former Pakistan skipper Imran Khan who decided to coach youngsters at clinics sponsored by a beverage company that continues to engage top cricketers for the promotion of their products.
According to information available from the advertising companies, cricketers were being paid handsome amounts ranging from Rs50,000 to Rs500,000 depending upon the popularity of the player and his performance on the field. Soon after that Javed Miandad — the prolific run machine for Pakistan — earned a handsome purse even though acting in the capacity of a coach for the Pakistan team.
There are no conditions attached with the advertising contracts as the players are not forced to make themselves available for the advertisements within a specified time frame. But as they receive the money in advance it is seldom that they fail to appear for the shooting as was the case with top film stars throwing tantrums.
The Pakistan Cricket Board levies no restrictions on cricketers to enter into advertising contracts as the ads are not included in its code of conduct document. Instead, it pockets hefty amounts from the sponsors who compel the players to wear company logos on their uniforms while in action on the field. In fact, it is learnt that the PCB forces the cricketers to conform to sponsors’ contracts to wear the respective logos or publicity material as the condition is included in players’ contracts that are signed before a series, weather home or abroad.
But youngsters and cricket lovers some time support the arrogance that was displayed by former Pakistan skipper Waseem Akram who reprimands a beautiful young model in delaying the start of a game and then bites a chocolate biscuit of a leading company as the rain comes down. Few justify that Waseem Akram is not a hero who would put up the best acting performance for the advertisement as after all, he is only a cricket hero and not a filmi hero.
Shahid Afridi is projected as a ladies man who gets trapped in a gymnasium with beverage bottle by Sonia Khan by her alluring look. While the hard-hitting batsman otherwise panted for breath with the popular song Sohniay in the background, cricket lovers enjoyed the apathy of the super star without a bat in his hand. It was probably due to the reason that Afridi is known all over the cricketing world for his strong grip but in the ad his grip was shown on the cold drink bottle and not anywhere else.
After the team’s arrival in Pakistan an overjoyed Shahid, who has been nicknamed ‘boom boom Afridi’, expressed to this scribe: “There is no harm in earning some decent dough while the consumers are still in a daze with my performance. One must cash in while the going is good after all, the current thrilling atmosphere provides the best opportunities for advertising companies to take advantage of the situation.”
The mighty cricket man who recently hit the second fastest ODI century in 45 balls revealed that he had offers to appear in two Indian alcohol ads but he refused simply because he is a Muslim. The consumption of alcohol was directly linked to his powerful performance, which he observed was a natural gift and not due to alcohol.
The run-out advertisement of Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq was shot much before he once again threw his wicket at Vishakapatnam in the second one-day International against India. His run out tilted the match balance immediately in India’s favour. Time and again Inzamam’s weakness has been highlighted through the media and now even promotional hazards but coach Bob Woolmer continues to find it a hard nut to crack as he has failed to induce a correcting attitude in the slow and burly runner between the wicket.
It was observed that former or current Pakistan captains were also engaged to promote products. Waqar Younus, Aamir Sohail and others quietly earned some money from this source and proceeded towards oblivion. Both still appear on television not as models but as commentators on popular networks. It is strange and sometimes stuns critics that a Pakistani bowler who invented reverse swing was not contracted as a bowling coach. Instead the Pakistan Cricket Board insists on paying huge amounts in foreign exchange to Bob Woolmer, whose achievements with the Pakistan team can be counted on fingers.
Coming back to advertisements, Pakistan’s speedster holding the world record of bowling over 100 miles per hour in ODI format was engaged by a beverage company for projecting the product as Tez raftar. Combined with the pride attached to the achievement Shoaib Akhtar has now been sidelined probably for ever and may not stage a comeback into Pakistan playing eleven. It is not the much publicized groin injury that is keeping away the fastest bowler from playing, but maybe it was the result of Shoaib Akhtar refusing to sign the players’ contract on the grounds of restrictions on his off-the-field activities.
Another fast bowler, Mohammad Sami, and opener Imran Nazeer have appeared in subdued roles in the bottling acts. And so was the gentle giant Abdul Razzak who was asked to enjoy cricket with street kids.
The latest advertisement of a soap, where Salman Butt’s on-screen mother demands another century from the opener appears far fetched as it is not guaranteed that any cricketer taking a bath with a certain soap will score a century. But then ads are mostly fiction and the producer can go to any limits to prove his point.
With outstanding performances in Australia and India, Salman is now being hunted for promotion of products whose quality remains to be proven. “I am not worried about the standards that are to be maintained by the manufacturers of the products which are promoted in my ads, but it will always be nice to know that my tag on any item in the market assures best quality,” he commented.
When players were contacted for their comments on the business they posed a counter question: ‘why not?’
“We are saving some money for the time when we will have to say goodbye to cricket. We are sure that this source of income which is there till we are in the field, will also be forgotten,” they justified.
It is true that not all retired cricketers can be accommodated on different posts in the Cricket Board and they will have to look beyond their favourite sport for future planning and establish a solid platform for a retired career in life.
The chief executive of an advertising agency was of this opinion: “The ads certainly enhance their image as a national hero while for the advertisers as market pullers. I have yet to come across a fan that has condemned cricketers’ appearance in ads.” — John Thakur Das
Being a craze in Pakistan, cricket has contributed richly to elevate ordinary cricketers to the status of celebrities promoting them to earn a decent living through TV advertisements and other activities off the field. It all started with former Pakistan skipper Imran Khan who decided to coach youngsters at clinics sponsored by a beverage company that continues to engage top cricketers for the promotion of their products.
