CA advised to sever ties with alcohol brands to save players from binge drinking
By Staff
ani-Staff
Melbourne, Nov 19 : After Andrew Symonds' self-confession that heavy drinking had taken a toll on him which actually led to his ouster from the team, ex-Aussie cricketer Mike Whitney had advised the Cricket Australia (CA) to stop accepting sponsorship from alcohol brands as, according to him, it encouraged heavy drinking among players.
A leading beer brand is the official sponsor of the Australian team, and Whitney said such an association was not healthy for the game.
"They're legal drugs that are sold and create a lot of misery," The News quoted Whitney as telling leading Australian daily The Age.
He said the current generation of players could not handle themselves after a session of drinking heavily. "I can't see these guys would come anywhere near close to drinking what my era consumed. When we came into the dressing room there would be two or three Eskies of beer - cold and waiting for you there. Sponsor's product. Happy days," he said.
According to the paper, Symonds has been involved in drunken brawls and once turned up for playing in a Test match in an inebriated state.