Stanford Cricket Match May Be Canceled Due To Sponsorship Feud

The $20M Stanford Super Series Twenty20 cricket match on November 1 in Antigua could be canceled, as negotiations between Stanford Financial Group (SFG) Chair Allen Stanford and Jamaica-based telecommunications company Digicel "have broken down," according to Mike Atherton of the LONDON TIMES. The match carries "authorised unofficial" status by both the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), meaning the match is "unofficial in the sense that records of the match will not count." Digicel has "commercial rights over matches played by West Indies in the Caribbean," and with both boards authorizing the match, the company argues by "giving away commercial rights to Stanford in return for his cash, the WICB is in breach of contract." Digicel last week "offered a three-point compromise: that its legal costs be discharged; that no other telecommunications company be involved as tournament sponsor and that the Stanford Superstars wear the official West Indies jersey with Digicel branding." Stanford "agreed to the first two points" despite the fact that he had a deal in place with London-based Cable & Wireless, Digicel's "main competitor in the region." However, Stanford "refused to compromise on the issue of the jerseys." If an October 4 arbitration ruling finds in favor of Digicel, "Stanford will have to decide his next course of action with three weeks until the first match is scheduled to take place on October 25" (LONDON TIMES, 9/23). A SFG spokesperson said, "At this point there is no future meeting planned. We offered the last counter-offer and Digicel rejected it" (Manchester GUARDIAN, 9/23). Meanwhile, in London, Angus Fraser notes England, the opponent of the Stanford Superstars, has a jersey sponsorship deal with Vodafone, which is "hardly likely to smooth things over" (London INDEPENDENT, 9/23).