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Saturday, February 24, 2001

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'Folded hands'- new logo for Indian team

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI, FEB. 23. The Indian cricket team's clothing for the first Test against Australia will have the `Folded hands' logo of the ITC Hotels Limited. Each player will be given five sets for the first Test. The Calcutta-based company has not decided on the logo for the second Test that will be played at the Eden Gardens from March 11 to 15.

According to reliable sources, corporate giants- Tatas, LG Electronics and Hindustan Lever and a couple of media houses have approached the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). ITC Ltd., which owns the sponsorship rights of the Indian cricket team, has advertised in leading newspapers about its decision to withdraw and that it is also in the process of identifying alternate sponsors.

The company , which will play the role of a facilitating part, has asked interested companies to apply to it by Monday, February 26.

The change in logo comes in the wake of the Union Cabinet's decision to ban advertisement of tobacco related products. ITC Ltd. immediately announced its withdrawal from sponsorship of sports events in the country. The Indian cricket team's clothing had the logo of `Wills Sport' upto the fifth one-day international against Zimbabwe.

ITC Ltd. revised its sponsorship rights contract with the BCCI last year. This entailed a payment of Rs. 35 lakhs for a Test match and Rs. 30 lakhs for a one-day international. Since 1993, ITC Ltd. had spent close to Rs. 46 crores as the official supplier of clothing for the Indian cricket team.

Indian team attends practice session

MUMBAI, FEB. 23. In its build up to the first Test, the Indian team spent about three hours at the Wankhede Stadium, but without Rahul Dravid, Shiv Sundar Das and Venkatsai Laxman.

``Rahul's father underwent a bypass surgery today. He (Rahul) should be here tomorrow. But I don't know what happened to Das and Laxman. Probably they thought the first practice session would start tomorrow,'' said captain Sourav Ganguly.

``I am happy with the way the two Indian teams (India `A' and Mumbai) have played their matches against Australia. But I would like to concentrate on our cricket and not think too much about the Australians.''

``No comment'' said coach John Wright, when asked to react on the visitors' first two matches. But he reiterated a point that cricket is all about getting the basics right and that results would follow.

- Our Special Correspondent

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